Our annual Most Worth It list recognizes the most esteemed aesthetic procedures—spanning from non-invasive enhancements to the pinnacle of surgical excellence—as voted by Ruli community members like you. This feature highlights one or more of the 44 Most Worth It recipients for 2024; you can explore the full list and delve deeper into patients’ top choices here.
The term "souvenirs" for scars has always struck us as somewhat unusual. In some contexts, it's fitting—certain marks do symbolize experiences that shape one's identity or evoke profound memories—but in others, scars are far less sentimental. In plastic surgery, they are typically seen as a necessary byproduct—albeit a minor one—of the transformative results that only surgical intervention can achieve.
Take the tummy tuck, for instance: this procedure not only removes excess skin—along with lower-belly stretch marks and C-section scars (“souvenirs” many are eager to eliminate)—but also reattaches separated abdominal muscles (often dislocated during pregnancy), leading to a flatter stomach and a more robust core. However, a significant scar—extending across the pelvis, from hip to hip—is an inherent part of the surgery. While this may give potential abdominoplasty patients pause, it rarely deters them entirely; just look at the over 160,000 individuals who opted for tummy tucks in 2024.
While more enduring than most mementos, scars do diminish, to some extent, over time (certain treatments recommended by surgeons can also expedite this process). The following unaltered images—contributed by surgeons and patients, accompanied by their candid reflections—illustrate the gradual evolution and diverse manifestations of tummy tuck scars.
Week three post-op and one year post-op
“Being a patient of color, she was concerned about keloids or hypertrophic scarring. We started her on lymphatic massage, silicone gel, and incision massage early. This regimen resulted in a flat incision, with no widening or hypertrophy.” — Dr. Troy A. Pittman , board-certified plastic surgeon in Washington, D.C.
One month post-op
“This patient is just one month post-op. The scar is still fresh but is healing nicely. Given this patient’s skin type, she is likely to heal without any scarring issues, such as hypertrophic or keloid scars.” — Dr. Umbareen Mahmood , board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City
Week six post-op and 18 months post-op
“For a fair-skinned patient, the redness from the incision faded more quickly than usual. At six months, she also had a small dog-ear correction at the far edges of her incision, which is quite common. She had her revision in the office, under local anesthesia.” —Dr. Pittman
Related: How Tattoos Can Create a Natural-Looking Belly Button Post-Tummy Tuck
10 weeks post-op
“This patient had a tummy tuck and liposuction with me and is shown 10 weeks post-surgery. She is using silicone gel on her scars, which aids in their healing and fading over time. This patient has been very diligent with her post-surgery scar regimen and garments, which has significantly impacted her recovery. I’ve found that, generally, scarring is less noticeable when we can minimize tension and pull at the incision line—something I achieve with progressive tension sutures [which transfer tension to deeper tissue layers].” — Dr. Amaka Nwubah , a board-certified plastic surgeon in Nashville, Tennessee
Three months post-op
“This 55-year-old patient followed the silicone scar gel and scar massage regimen. Her final scar outcome will be evident at one year post-op, and I anticipate she will continue to heal well.” — Dr. Mahmood
Three months post-op
“The patient also adhered to the silicone scar gel and scar massage. We'll assess her final scar at the one-year mark, but I expect she will continue to heal well.” — Dr. Mahmood
One year post-op
“This 38-year-old woman had stretched abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) due to previous pregnancies, along with stretch marks and an overhanging layer of tissue. Her muscle tone was good, making her an ideal candidate for tummy tuck and liposuction of the flanks. In addition to removing all the stretched skin from above her belly button to her pubic bone and tightening her muscle layer to correct the diastasis recti, I curved the incision line in a ‘bikini string curve,’ which enhances the waist and hip lines.
“Her health-conscious, balanced diet and the fact that she is a non-smoker who doesn't take any steroid medications, which can impede wound healing, contributed to excellent scar healing. But most importantly, meticulous incision closure with progressive tension sutures—placing sutures from top to bottom, inside the abdominal space, to relieve tension from the healing incision line—was crucial. Compression garments were worn to provide support and control swelling. My partner, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Noëlle Sherber, performed laser scar treatment, which helped our patient's scar to fade over the course of a year.” — Dr. Ariel N. Rad , a board-certified plastic surgeon in Washington, D.C.
One year post-op
“This 40-year-old man lost 75 pounds through a safe diet and exercise, going from 295 to 220 pounds, and he maintains a very health-conscious lifestyle. He had a tummy tuck and liposuction of the flanks with muscle tightening. I paid close attention to his abdominal contour to accentuate muscle highlights and give a more sculpted, masculine appearance to his abdomen and flank area.
“I was concerned about optimizing his wound healing as he had thin skin, as indicated by stretch marks. So in addition to meticulous surgical closure, I again utilized progressive tension suture technique. I recommended compression garments and aggressive scar therapy with tension-reducing silicone sheeting, moisture therapy, and laser treatment performed by Dr. Sherber.” — Dr. Rad
One year post-op
“This patient underwent a lower body lift one year ago. The incision for a lower body lift is the same as that for a tummy tuck. Her scar has faded significantly and is hardly noticeable. She complies with her scar gel, and we also reduced the amount of tension at the incision line with progressive tension sutures. We find [her outcome] to be largely consistent with patients’ scar appearances at one year.” — Dr. Nwubah
Related: Doctors Answer 6 of the Most Common Questions About Tummy Tuck Recovery
18 months post-op
“My scar, 18 months later—I'm not happy with it. I should have also had liposuction, as even with the tummy tuck, I still look boxy. The scar is very high—and difficult to hide in regular swimsuits—plus it's dog-eared and more prominent on the left side. Eventually, I will go back and have it revised by a different doctor.” — Diana, tummy tuck patient
Two years post-op
“This 43-year-old woman had extremely stretched abdominal muscles, caused by prior pregnancies and large fibroids, creating a very protruding shape of her abdomen. She was an ideal candidate for tummy tuck and liposuction of the flanks. In a single surgery, her gynecologist removed the fibroids, which decompressed her abdomen, and then I removed all the stretched skin from above her belly button to her pubic bone while also tightening her muscle layer.
“Her excellent healing is attributed to her balanced diet, non-smoking habit, and not taking any steroid medicines, as well as meticulous surgical closure. I also used a tension-relieving device called a wound VAC. We were proactive with scar therapy and used tension-reducing silicone sheeting, moisture therapy, and laser scar treatment—again, by Dr. Sherber—which helped to fade her scar over two years.” — Dr. Rad
Day two post-op through three years post-op
“I had a 360 tummy tuck in November 2018. This first photo was taken on day two post-op, during my first shower. There was a lot of swelling, and my plastic surgeon used tape that couldn't be removed yet. This is the period when many patients experience the post-surgery blues (you often see it on Ruli). Everything hurts and is swollen, and nothing looks good. Even though I knew all of this beforehand and said I wouldn't get those blues, I definitely did! Give your body time to heal—and stay positive. There are numerous factors that influence scarring. For me, I tend to scar well, but I still made sure to strictly follow my surgeon's instructions. Immediate post-op care after the surgery can set you up for success.” — Christina, tummy tuck patient
“This was taken at 12 weeks post-op. My results are starting to show. The scar is thin, flat, and still very red.” — Christina
“Six months: my scar is fading.” — Christina
“At nearly three years post-op, my scar is white, flat, and thin—almost invisible. I can wear a string bikini without any issue. I have been able to do that since about three months after, due to the thin, flat nature of the scar. At that point, any remaining redness just resembled the lines you get from a bathing suit.” — Christina
