Liposuction scars —
where incisions go and how they fade, from ARTNER Cheongdam, Gangnam.
Liposuction incisions are 3–4 millimetres long — the width of a cannula — and ARTNER Cheongdam, Gangnam places them in natural folds, along underwear lines or inside existing scars so that most patients cannot find them after a year. The real scar risk is not size but pigmentation: Asian and darker skin tends to darken over healing incisions for months, and the routine below is designed around that.
Patients worry about liposuction scars far more than they need to, and about pigmentation far less. ARTNER Cheongdam sees both every week. Here is exactly where the marks go, what they look like at each stage, and what you do about them.
You want to know what will be visible — and where.
- You plan to wear a bikini or shorts afterward.
- Your skin tends to darken where it heals.
- You have an old C-section or other scar you would rather reuse.
- You have seen dark dots in before-and-after photos online.
- You want a scar routine you can follow at home abroad.
Everything below is what ARTNER Cheongdam, Gangnam tells its own patients.
How big a liposuction scar actually is in Cheongdam
A liposuction incision is a stab of 3–4 millimetres through which the cannula passes. It is not sutured in most cases — it is left to drain tumescent fluid for a day and then closes on its own — or closed with a single fine stitch. Mature, it is a flat mark the size of a grain of rice, usually paler or slightly darker than surrounding skin.
Two to four incisions per area is typical at ARTNER Cheongdam. A full abdomen uses three or four; a double chin uses one under the chin and sometimes one behind each earlobe.
Where ARTNER Cheongdam places them, by area
| Area | Incision sites at ARTNER Cheongdam | Hidden by |
|---|---|---|
| Abdomen | Inside the navel rim · pubic hairline · existing C-section scar | Underwear, navel shadow |
| Flanks / love handles | Upper buttock crease · lateral hip at underwear line | Underwear line |
| Back / bra line | Within the bra band line | Bra |
| Arms | Elbow crease · posterior armpit fold | Arm position |
| Inner thighs | Groin crease · upper inner knee | Underwear, knee fold |
| Outer thighs | Gluteal fold · lateral knee | Shorts line |
| Chin / neck | Under the chin · behind the earlobes | Shadow, hair |
| Male chest | Lower edge of areola · chest fold | Pigment border |
Where you have an existing scar — a C-section, an old appendix scar — the director uses it rather than adding a new one.
The 12-month scar timeline
| Stage | What you see | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0–3 | Small open stab, leaking tumescent fluid (normal) | Absorbent pads, keep clean and dry |
| Week 1–2 | Closed, pink or red dot, slightly raised | Keep covered; no soaking, no sun |
| Week 2–8 | Red to brown; may darken on Asian/darker skin | Silicone tape or gel daily, SPF 50 if exposed |
| Month 2–6 | Pigment peaks then begins to fade | Continue silicone; pigment-lightening cream if prescribed |
| Month 6–12 | Flat, pale or faintly brown, hard to find | Sun protection continues |
Why bruising and discolouration happen around the incisions: why bruising happens after liposuction.
Pigmentation: the real risk for Asian and darker skin
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation — a brown or grey mark where skin has healed — is far more common than a raised scar in Korean, East Asian, South Asian and darker-skinned patients. It is triggered by inflammation, friction and above all ultraviolet light during the first six months. ARTNER Cheongdam's routine is built around it: silicone tape from the day the incision closes, strict sun avoidance, and a topical lightening agent prescribed in Gangnam if darkening appears at the six-week review.
Hypertrophic or keloid scarring is rarer with 3–4 mm incisions but does occur in predisposed patients; tell the director if you have keloided before, and incisions will be placed and managed accordingly.
The scar routine you take home from Cheongdam
Keep incisions dry for 48 hours, then shower normally without soaking. Once sealed — usually day three to five — apply silicone tape or gel daily for at least eight weeks. Keep every incision out of the sun for six months; where that is impossible, SPF 50 reapplied every two hours. Do not pick at scabs, and avoid garment seams rubbing directly over an incision.
ARTNER Cheongdam gives international patients the tape and written routine before they fly, and reviews photos of the incisions on WhatsApp at two, six and twelve weeks.
The broader home-care plan: remote follow-up after flying home.
Marks that are not scars
Three things get mistaken for scarring after liposuction. Bruising, which is yellow-green and gone in two to three weeks. Port-site darkening, which is pigmentation and fades. And surface irregularity — a ripple or dent — which is a contour issue, not a scar, and is covered in the guide on uneven results. Photos on WhatsApp let ARTNER Cheongdam tell you which you are looking at.
If a scar does not fade
At twelve months a mark that is still dark responds to prescription lightening agents or a short course of laser toning, which ARTNER Cheongdam, Gangnam can arrange on a return visit. A raised scar responds to silicone, steroid injection or laser. Both are uncommon with incisions this size, and both are fixable — but they are prevented more easily than treated, which is why the routine above matters.
In short — Liposuction incisions at ARTNER Cheongdam, Gangnam are 3–4 mm, two to four per area, placed in folds, underwear lines or existing scars so they are hard to find after a year. The real risk on Asian and darker skin is pigmentation, not scar size — so the routine is silicone tape from day three to five, strict sun avoidance for six months, and prescription lightening if darkening appears at the six-week review.
Treated at ARTNER Cheongdam, Gangnam — Scar care is part of every ART-FAT plan in Cheongdam, Gangnam — silicone tape and the written routine are provided before you fly, and incision photos are reviewed on WhatsApp at two, six and twelve weeks. ART-FAT awake liposuction is priced per area from ₩1,190,000. ARTNER Cheongdam is an internal-medicine-led body contouring clinic in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at 2F–3F, 38 Apgujeong-ro 80-gil — a flat five-minute walk from Apgujeong Rodeo Station Exit 4 and 60–90 minutes from Incheon Airport. Consultations for international patients are held in English, with Chinese and Japanese support, and the KRW price list in Gangnam is identical for Korean and foreign patients. Explore ART-FAT awake liposuction in Cheongdam, Gangnam, before and after in Cheongdam, the Cheongdam price list or all ARTNER Cheongdam guides.
The internal-medicine specialist who makes this call in Cheongdam.
Nobody has ever regretted a 3 mm scar in a fold. Plenty of people have regretted a brown mark they got from a beach holiday in week four. Where I put the incision matters; what you do about the sun matters more.
- Dr. Hye-woo Pyeon — Internal Medicine Specialist, Director of ARTNER Cheongdam, Gangnam
- Yeungnam University College of Medicine · Sungkyunkwan University Bioengineering
- Former Internal Medicine Specialist, Gachon University Gil Medical Center
- Member, Korean Society for the Study of Obesity & Korean Association of Internal Medicine
- Developer of the ARTNER signature protocols — ARTNER Injection · ART-FAT · ART-TUNE · ART-CELL
Liposuction scar questions answered by ARTNER Cheongdam, Gangnam.
Three to four millimetres — the width of the cannula. Mature, they are flat marks the size of a grain of rice, two to four per area.
In natural folds and underwear lines: navel rim or pubic hairline for the abdomen, upper buttock crease for flanks, elbow crease for arms, under the chin for the neck. Existing scars are reused where possible.
Usually not — they are left to drain tumescent fluid for a day and close on their own, or closed with a single fine stitch where needed.
On Asian and darker skin, incisions commonly darken for a few months — pigmentation rather than scarring. Silicone tape, sun avoidance and, if needed, a prescribed lightening agent fade it.
Six to twelve months. Redness fades by two months, pigment peaks around month two to four, and most marks are difficult to find by a year.
Dry for 48 hours, then daily silicone tape or gel for eight weeks once sealed, no sun on the incisions for six months, no picking, and photo reviews on WhatsApp at two, six and twelve weeks.
Usually yes, with incisions kept to a minimum and managed with silicone and early review. Tell the director at consultation so the plan accounts for it.
Prescription lightening agents or a short laser toning course on a return visit to ARTNER Cheongdam. It is uncommon with incisions this size and is fixable.
Ask where your incisions
would go — before you book.
Message ARTNER Cheongdam, Gangnam on WhatsApp with the areas you are considering and a note on how your skin heals. An English reply within 24 hours shows the incision sites for your plan, the scar routine, and the KRW quote.
This guide is general medical information and does not replace an individual consultation. Individual results vary, and whether a treatment is appropriate is decided by an internal-medicine specialist after examination. Prices are in KRW, exclude VAT and follow the published price list. ARTNER Cheongdam · 2F–3F, 38 Apgujeong-ro 80-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul · 5 min from Apgujeong Rodeo Station Exit 4 · Contact & directions · All Cheongdam guides