I’m Dr. David Stoker, a board-certified plastic surgeon and tummy tuck expert in Los Angeles. I’ve answered just about every question imaginable about this procedure, including this one: “Is it okay to get a tattoo over your tummy tuck scar?” It’s a really good question, and the answer is usually yes, but I would ask you to consult with your plastic surgeon first. I’ve seen a decent number of tattoos on post-operative results; maybe one to two percent of patients might consider doing something like that.
I think it’s prudent to be patient and wait. If you rush to get a tattoo before you’re fully healed, it might interfere with that healing in some way. Our blog has an earlier post about tummy tuck recovery milestones if you’d like more information about that.
It can also complicate things if somebody decides they want to do an additional procedure down the road, remove more skin, or do a circumferential body lift; that can complicate things. It doesn’t take very long to consult with your plastic surgeon.
In my case, I feel like my patients are my artwork, and while it’s their body, they can do with it what they choose, but it seems prudent to consult with that surgeon so they can make a wise decision and get the best long-term results.
Can You Get a Tattoo Removed During a Tummy Tuck?
This is another question that comes up from time to time. And the answer is yes, sometimes a surgeon can make the incisions so that the skin removal includes tattooed skin. However, your tattoo has to be in the right location for this to work. This can be a good thing for some patients, who no longer want an abdominal tattoo. And for others, although they may be sad about losing their body art, the loss of excess skin and stretch marks is usually a pretty good tradeoff.
In Conclusion
Sometimes tattoos intersect with your tummy tuck results. If you want to know more about tattoos and tummy tucks, or any other plastic surgery concern, contact us online, or call us at (310) 300-1779 to schedule a consultation.
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