Healing Nutrients For Tummy Tuck Scars

Having a tummy tuck may give you a sleeker abdominal profile, improve the contours of your figure and boost your satisfaction with your appearance. However, a tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, will leave one or two scars in your lower abdominal area, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, or ASPS. Your cosmetic surgeon will typically make one horizontal incision above your pubic area to tighten abdominal muscles and remove excess tissue. Your surgeon may also make a second incision around your navel to remove redundant skin. As your incisions heal, maintaining a balanced diet rich in nutrients that promote healthy tissue repair and remodeling may result in cleaner, less noticeable scars.

Protein

Dietary protein provides the structural materials that your body needs for tissue growth and wound repair. A lack of protein may slow your recovery and delay the healing of your surgical incisions. As you're recovering from your tummy tuck, include fish, poultry, eggs and egg whites, lean red meat, beans and low-fat or nonfat dairy products in your diet each day. The recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for protein is 46g for women and 56g for men. A 3 oz. piece of fish or chicken has about 21g of protein, which would fulfill almost half of your daily requirement.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A, which occurs in milk, eggs and cod liver oil, supports your body's natural immunity, which may reduce your risk of a post-surgical infection. This fat-soluble vitamin also contributes to tissue development and skin integrity. Beta-carotene, a plant-based pigment that converts into vitamin A during digestion, occurs in orange, red, yellow or dark green fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, yams, squash, broccoli or kale. Eating a variety of deeply pigmented fruits and vegetables will help you meet the RDA of 2,333 IU, or international units, of vitamin A for women over 19 and 3,000 IU for men over 19.

Vitamin C

As you recover from your tummy tuck, preventing infections in your incisions is essential for creating healthy scars. Found in many fruits and vegetables, vitamin C promotes healthy incision repair and helps your body resist infectious micro-organisms. During the wound-healing process, vitamin C plays an important role in the formation of new tissues. Citrus fruits, potatoes, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin C. The RDA of vitamin C is 75mg for women and 90mg for men.

Vitamin K

Abundant in dark green, leafy vegetables, olive and canola oil, vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that contributes to blood clot formation. Bacteria in your digestive tract also produce a certain amount of vitamin K. A lack of vitamin K in your diet may result in easy bruising. The ASPS says that increasing your intake of foods that are rich in vitamin K may reduce bruising around your incisions after cosmetic surgery. The adequate intake of vitamin K is 90mcg for women over 19 and 120mcg for men over 19.

Zinc

Zinc plays vital roles in protein production, cellular growth and immunity, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. To ensure proper wound healing and minimize scars, eat foods rich in this essential mineral before and after your tummy tuck. Chicken, fish, pork, lean beef, milk products, dried beans, oatmeal and nuts provide zinc. The RDA of zinc is 8mg for women over 19 and 11mg for men over 19.