If it's not one thing, it's another . . .

Okie dokie . . .

Circumferential-major-mondo-lower-body-flab-ectomy was last summer . . .

I get that I'll be swollen through next summer.  I'm a slow healer, it was a massive surgery, other health issues etc etc etc ... so fine, I'll be in various stages of "garments" through then.  I can deal with that.  I need to huddle around my coffee mug for warmth anyway, the garment(s) will help me retain the much-needed heat ...

But . . . the incisions around my hips are THICK.  I don't mean swollen, they aren't swollen especially, just THICK.  And DUSKY.  But THICK.  

NOT keloiding ... no keloids, all of the scars are flat.  

They're just THICK beneath the skin.  They're not especially painful, in fact I'm still numb for about an inch and a half below the hip-line incision.  I don't miss that ... it'll be back or not, I don't care.

But what's up with the THICKNESS of the incision line as it heals?  I'm assuming it's normal because the surgeon says everything looks great (and I'm realizing that "looking great / fantastic / perfect" is a surgeon-referenced term for "okay" if you don't have medical complications) ...

Does the thickness of the incision line soften when the swelling goes away?  Months?  Years?

I'm not really in a hurry and I really don't mind.  

But I'd like to KNOW.

So, you veterans out there ... what's the deal?

so you had this major surgery last summer? when? you say you will be swollen till next summer...meaning a year? wow...i have a large tt anchor next monday and i didnt plan on a year!

let me know

autum

Have you tried any scar treatments? I know they are intended to flatten and fade scars, but I imaging there is improvement with thickness as well. I just started using mine, so can't say from personal experience.

I've found the best treatment for my incisions have been the massaging. I do it at least twice a day. I alternate between using neosporin and Vitamin E oil. I've been told it's the massaging that is the best treatment for a scar. I really rub mine and work the oil in.

I want to ditto what Renee said. From everything I have read...and that is quite alot, the massage is more important than the product you use.

some of those silicone strips use Vit E as the lube, others use dimethicone...another lube. I think anything with good "slip" is fine, it is the deep-ish tissue massage that works the magic...the lube just makes the fingers move smoothly over the skin.

I massage mine daily too, and for just 4 weeks out, I think they are looking purty dern good!!


Soapy

According to my surgeon, at 8 weeks PostOp, your scars should be at the peak of being raised, thick, purple and just ugly.  After that, things start to improve.  I've heard that smokers have difficult healing issues so I don't know if this "rule" applies to them. 

I had my LBL two years ago in August and I can barely see my scar today.  As for the swelling, I spent three months in my binder because I thought the extra time might produce a better waistline.   Most of my swelling was gone at six weeks. 

What did you use for your scars? I keep hearing Vitamin E oil, then silicone strips? It's a little confusing.

I didn't use anything on my LBL scar.  I did use silicone strips on my brachioplasty scars and they really helped with the fading. 

Thank you all for responding.

I have "other health issues" and I'm expecting that one way or another, by the end of a year the swelling will be all gone.

There's not THAT much swelling, and only if I forgo the Flexees.  My question is, how long does the incision remain purplish and thick (not broad .... just a whole lot denser than the rest of the tissue).

Not a smoker.  A circumferential flab hacking is a big ole surgery, and I knew for sure recovery would be more than eight weeks.  But there seem to be a lot of stages to this gradual healing, so that while the clothed me looks fantastic, I'm sort of wondering when the nekkid me will feel and look ordinary.

I had the same surgery - LBL with lots of stuff removed.  There's a female plastic surgeon at the clinic where I get my work done and she had an LBL and said it was a full 15 months before she felt "normal" again.  For me, I would say about three months before I was back to the gym feeling like I could do normal workouts and a full six months before I started to see the final result.  At about nine months, I think my scar was close to where it is now.  Thankfully I don't have any other health issues and I don't malabsorb so I didn't need to go on any special protein support.  There's one surgeon who posts here occasionally *****commends protein supplements for his patients following plastics.