Tummy tuck revision and dog-ears, explained
Dog-ears are small puckers of excess skin at the ends of the tummy tuck scar â common, minor, and easily corrected with a small revision (often with liposuction). Revisions also address residual laxity, scar issues, asymmetry or the belly button. The rule: wait about 12 months for full healing before judging or revising, because swelling and scars are still settling.
No surgery is guaranteed perfect, and minor touch-ups are a normal, expected part of body contouring for some patients. "Dog-ears" are the most common reason people ask about a revision â so here's what they are, what else revisions fix, and the all-important timing.
What are dog-ears?
"Dog-ears" (or "cat ears") are small puckers or folds of excess skin and fat at the outer ends of the tummy tuck incision, near the hips. They happen when there's a little more tissue at the ends of the scar than the closure fully smoothed out â more likely with certain body shapes or when the scar is kept shorter. They're a cosmetic nuisance, not a complication, and they're straightforward to fix: a minor revision, often under local anaesthetic, trims the excess and may add a little liposuction to blend the contour.
- Dog-ears â excess skin at the incision ends (the most common).
- Residual skin laxity â a bit more loose skin than hoped, sometimes after further weight change.
- Scar concerns â a thickened, widened or uneven scar (see minimizing scars).
- Asymmetry â slight unevenness in contour or scar position.
- Belly button refinement â reshaping the navel with an umbilicoplasty.
- Changes after pregnancy or weight change â re-tightening down the line (see how long results last).
Why you wait about 12 months
This is the most important point: don't judge â or revise â too early. For up to a year after a tummy tuck, swelling is still resolving and scars are still maturing (scar maturation takes 12â18 months). Many things that look like they might need revision at week 6 â a firm ridge, an apparent bulge, a red scar, even a small dog-ear â soften or resolve on their own as healing completes. Operating on tissue that's still settling can make things worse, so surgeons generally wait around 12 months before considering a revision, once the result is truly final.
What a revision involves
Most revisions are minor compared to the original surgery â a dog-ear correction or scar revision is often a small, local-anaesthetic procedure with a quick recovery. More extensive revisions (significant re-tightening, repeat muscle repair after pregnancy) are larger but still build on work already done. A good surgeon discusses honestly whether a concern is best revised or left to settle further.
Are revisions a sign something went wrong?
Usually not. Minor touch-ups are a recognised part of body contouring â bodies heal differently, and small refinements are sometimes simply how you reach the best result. What matters is choosing a surgeon who sets realistic expectations up front, gives the result a full year to mature, and approaches revision thoughtfully. This is part of why surgeon choice and aftercare matter so much (see is it safe in Turkey).
The bottom line: dog-ears are a common, minor, easily-fixed issue; revisions also handle laxity, scars, asymmetry and the belly button. The golden rule is patience â wait about 12 months for swelling and scars to settle before judging or revising, because much resolves on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Dog-ears (or cat ears) are small puckers of excess skin and fat at the outer ends of the tummy tuck scar, near the hips, where slightly more tissue remained than the closure smoothed out. They're a cosmetic nuisance rather than a complication and are easily corrected with a minor revision, often with a little liposuction.
With a minor revision â often under local anaesthetic â that trims the excess skin at the ends of the scar and may add a small amount of liposuction to blend the contour. It's a small procedure with a quick recovery, usually done once the original surgery has fully healed at around 12 months.
Generally about 12 months. For up to a year, swelling is still resolving and scars are still maturing, and many concerns â firm ridges, apparent bulges, red scars, even small dog-ears â soften or resolve on their own. Revising tissue that's still settling can make things worse, so surgeons wait for the final result.
Common reasons include dog-ears (the most frequent), residual skin laxity, a thickened or uneven scar, slight asymmetry, belly button refinement, or changes after a later pregnancy or weight change. Many are minor touch-ups; some are larger but still build on the original work. Often, waiting for full healing avoids the need entirely.
Usually not â minor touch-ups are a recognised, normal part of body contouring, because bodies heal differently and small refinements are sometimes simply how the best result is reached. What matters is a surgeon who sets realistic expectations, allows a full year for maturation, and approaches revision thoughtfully.
Most are minor compared to the original surgery â a dog-ear or scar revision is often a small, local-anaesthetic procedure with a quick recovery. More extensive revisions, such as significant re-tightening or repeat muscle repair after pregnancy, are larger but still build on work already done. It depends on what's being corrected.
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