01Article · Before a tummy tuck
What happens to stretch marks
after a tummy tuck?
A tummy tuck does not treat stretch marks. It removes a section of skin from the lower abdomen, and the marks living in that section leave with it. Anything above the navel stays, drawn lower down the abdomen as the skin is brought down. In exchange you take on a permanent horizontal scar. Understanding that trade properly is most of what this question is really asking.
02Key takeaways
The short version,
before the detail.
- 01A tummy tuck does not treat stretch marks. It removes a section of skin, and the marks on that section leave with it.
- 02The skin removed in a full abdominoplasty is roughly the segment between the navel and the pubic line, where many post-pregnancy marks sit.
- 03Marks above the navel stay. They are drawn downward as the skin above is brought down, so they end up lower than they were.
- 04Stretch marks are scars in the deeper layer of the skin. Nothing returns that skin to the state it was in beforehand.
- 05You take on a permanent horizontal scar low on the abdomen, plus a second scar around the repositioned navel. That trade is the honest way to think about this question.
03What a stretch mark actually is
A scar,
not a surface mark.
Most of the confusion here comes from picturing stretch marks as something sitting on the surface of the skin, like a stain. They are not. They are damage underneath it.
- 01They form when skin is stretched faster than the dermis, the deeper layer, can keep up with. The collagen and elastin there tear, and the body repairs the tear with scar tissue.
- 02Fresh marks are pink, red or purple, sometimes raised, and they can itch.
- 03Over a year or two the colour drains out and they settle into paler lines sitting slightly below the surrounding skin. That is where they stay.
- 04The damage sits beneath the outer layer of skin, not in it. That single fact explains why surface treatments do so little.
Once you hold that picture, the answer follows on its own. A scar in the dermis cannot be lifted out of the skin it lives in. The only way it leaves the body is if that piece of skin does, which describes what an abdominoplasty is rather than a stretch mark treatment. The operation is set out on the tummy tuck page.
04What the operation removes, and what it leaves
A section of skin,
and whatever it carries.
An abdominoplasty is a skin and fat removal operation with a muscle repair underneath. Nothing in that description is aimed at stretch marks, which is why the effect on them is incidental.
- 01A full abdominoplasty removes a horizontal section of skin and fat from the lower abdomen, closing the gap by bringing the skin above it down.
- 02Every mark inside that section goes with it, because the skin it lives in has left the body. That is the whole of the effect this operation has on stretch marks.
- 03The navel stays attached underneath and is brought out through a new opening, which is why a full abdominoplasty leaves a scar around it.
- 04A mini abdominoplasty removes a smaller section and leaves the navel where it is, so it removes fewer marks. Which operation suits a given abdomen is an assessment question, not a preference.
- 05Repair of separated abdominal muscles happens underneath the skin and does nothing to the skin above it.
There is a practical consequence worth stating plainly. Post-pregnancy marks often cluster low on the abdomen, below the navel, which is the skin most likely to be removed. That is not a promise about any particular abdomen. It is why some people are told at consultation that most of their marks sit in the section that would come out, and others hear the opposite.
05What stays, and what you take on
Four things
worth knowing early.
This is the part patients say they wish somebody had drawn on paper at the first appointment.
Marks above the navel
Not removed. As the upper abdominal skin is drawn down, they travel with it, so a mark that sat above the navel beforehand can sit below it afterwards. Same scar tissue, different position, different tension. How noticeable it looks varies from person to person and is not something anyone can predict for you in advance.
Marks on the hips and flanks
The operation works across the front of the abdomen, so marks wrapping around the sides sit outside the skin that comes out. Adding liposuction does not change this, because liposuction removes fat from underneath rather than skin from the surface.
Marks on the breasts, thighs and upper arms
Untouched. Obvious written down, and it still surprises people at consultation, because the mental picture of this operation is usually broader than what it does.
The new scar
The low horizontal scar is permanent. It is usually placed so underwear covers it, it is red and firm for the first months, and it takes twelve to eighteen months to settle. A full abdominoplasty adds a second scar around the navel.
The scar deserves more weight in this decision than it usually gets. You are trading a diffuse pattern of marks across an area for one defined line, and those are different things to live with. Our week by week guide to tummy tuck recovery covers how the scar behaves month by month.
06What actually moves the picture
Five variables,
stated plainly.
- 01Where your marks sit. Somebody whose marks cluster low on the abdomen is in a different position to somebody whose marks run up towards the ribs, and that is decided by your own history rather than in theatre.
- 02How much loose skin there is. The amount that can be safely removed sets the boundary of what leaves with it, and closing under too much tension causes problems with healing and the scar.
- 03Whether you are planning a pregnancy. A pregnancy afterwards stretches the repaired abdominal wall and the skin again, and it can produce new marks.
- 04Weight stability. Significant gain or loss stretches skin that has already been through one repair.
- 05How your own skin scars. Some people scar more readily than others, and family history is a reasonable guide.
None of these is a lever anybody can pull for you in theatre. They are the facts of your own body and your own plans, and they set the boundaries before a single decision is made about technique. A face to face assessment is the only way to work out where your marks sit relative to the skin that would be removed, and nobody can answer that from a photograph or over the phone.
07Three things that are not stretch marks
Different problems,
different answers.
Several of the worries raised in the first months after an abdominoplasty turn out to be about something else.
Bruising and discolouration in the first months
The lower abdomen is often discoloured for weeks, and the new scar is red long before it is pale. Patients sometimes read this as new marks appearing. Assessing anything at six weeks is assessing bruising rather than skin.
Numbness across the lower abdomen
Reduced sensation between the scar and the navel is expected and can persist for months. It has nothing to do with the marks, though anything that concerns you should be reviewed rather than waited out.
Skin that has lost some of its elasticity
Skin ages after the procedure the same way it did before. Looser skin a decade later is a separate matter, and it calls for a different conversation.
08Creams, oils and what people try first
Why so little
reaches the problem.
Almost everybody arrives having tried something. Oils, creams, dry brushing, over the counter retinol, sometimes a course of treatments at a clinic. The evidence for preventing or removing stretch marks with topical products is weak, and the reason is structural: a cream on the surface is not reaching a tear in the layer below it.
Treatments that reach the dermis, such as some laser and microneedling approaches, sit on firmer ground in principle, though the realistic aim is a change in colour and texture rather than removal. If a clinic tells you a non-surgical treatment will erase stretch marks, ask what evidence they are relying on. The NHS overview of stretch marks is a neutral starting point, written by people with nothing to sell you.
09When you can reasonably judge anything
Twelve months,
not twelve weeks.
Swelling in the lower abdomen takes months to resolve, and the new scar is at its most obvious in the first three to six. It goes red, sometimes raised, then slowly loses colour across the following year. Judging your abdomen at eight weeks tells you about swelling and a young scar, little else.
Plan for twelve to eighteen months before the scar looks like the scar it is going to be. Knowing the timeline does not make it shorter, but it stops the early months reading as evidence that something has gone wrong. If cost is your next question, what affects the price of a tummy tuck sets out the line items rather than a single figure.
10The framework around this operation
Two consultations,
and a cooling off period.
A GP referral is required before your first consultation. At least two pre operative consultations are required, including one in person with Dr Nara, and a written itemised quote is provided rather than a figure quoted over the phone. After informed consent there is a minimum seven day cooling off period before surgery can be booked. These requirements apply nationally and exist to give you room to change your mind.
The guidelines are published by the Medical Board of Australia, and the AHPRA register lets you check the registration of any doctor in Australia before you commit to anything. Seeking a second opinion is sensible and nobody here will think less of you for it. The risks of any procedure are set out on our risks of surgery page.
11Frequently asked questions
Questions patients:
actually ask.
Does a tummy tuck get rid of stretch marks?
Only the ones inside the skin that is removed. A full abdominoplasty takes out roughly the segment between the navel and the pubic line, so marks living in that skin go with it. Marks above the navel, on the hips, or anywhere else remain. It is more accurate to say the procedure removes skin than that it treats stretch marks.
Will my stretch marks look different even if they are not removed?
They will sit lower on the abdomen, because the skin they live in is drawn downward, and that skin is under different tension once closed. How it reads on any individual abdomen varies a great deal and cannot be predicted, which is why nobody should be describing a specific appearance to you before an assessment.
Do stretch marks ever go away on their own?
They fade. Fresh pink or purple marks lose their colour over a year or two and settle into paler lines, and many people find them much less noticeable at that point. They do not disappear, because the tear that caused them is scar tissue in the dermis rather than a surface mark.
Can I have a tummy tuck if I am still planning a pregnancy?
It is generally worth waiting. A pregnancy afterwards stretches the abdominal wall and the skin again, including any muscle repair, and it can produce new marks. There is no rule preventing it, and it is a discussion to have honestly at consultation rather than a decision made around somebody else's timeline.
Is a tummy tuck covered by Medicare or private health insurance?
No. Medicare and private health insurance do not apply to treatment at RevAesthetic. Dr Nara is a cosmetic doctor, every procedure here is private and self funded, and the clinic does not offer any payment plans. A written itemised quote is provided after your consultations.
What should I do first if I am thinking about this?
See your usual GP. A referral is required before a first consultation here in any case, and your GP can talk through whether an abdominoplasty addresses what is bothering you. If that is marks above the navel, this operation may not be the answer, and it is worth establishing before you go further.
12How to begin
Next steps:
in your own time.
If stretch marks are the main thing bothering you, say so at the first appointment in exactly those words. It changes the conversation, because it tells the person assessing you what you are hoping for, and lets them tell you honestly whether this operation reaches it. Doing nothing remains a legitimate answer, now and in ten years.
Start with your usual GP and a referral. Consultations are available in Melbourne, Tasmania and Adelaide. Bring your questions written down. You can begin a confidential enquiry whenever you are ready.
13About the practitioner
Dr Kishen
Nara.
Dr Kishen Nara is a registered medical practitioner. He sees patients across Melbourne, Tasmania and Adelaide. The team at RevAesthetic includes practice manager Cate, Patient Liaison Jenny, and registered nurses, all involved in supporting your enquiry.
- MBBSBachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Monash University
- FACCSM(Surg)Surgical Fellow, Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine
- AHPRARegistered medical practitioner, General Registration MED0001201549
14Continue reading
More from
the journal.
- 2026 Can fat come back to the same area years after liposuction?
The fat cells removed do not regrow, but the ones left behind can still enlarge. What actually changes in a treated area over five, ten and twenty years, and which changes are not fat at all. - 2026 Tummy tuck in Melbourne — what affects the price quoted at consultation
What actually changes the cost of a tummy tuck in Melbourne — extent of muscle separation, skin laxity, hospital stay, whether liposuction is combined. Honest plain-language guide for post-pregnancy patients. - 2026 Tummy tuck recovery — week by week through three months
An honest, week-by-week recovery timeline after abdominoplasty in Melbourne. Drain management, scar care, exercise return, and the difficult weeks 2 and 3 that nobody talks about.
All surgeries carry risks. Please seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner before proceeding. For more information regarding surgical risks, please visit our website: https://www.revaesthetic.com.au/risks-of-surgery/
Dr Kishen Nara | MED0001201549
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
Fellow of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine (FACCSM)
Registered Medical Practitioner | General Registration
Book a consultation: https://www.revaesthetic.com.au/book/