If you’ve had a tummy tuck recently and are on the road to recovery, chances are you’ve been worrying about whether your improved body will be ready to show off at the beach anytime soon.

While your stomach might look great from your procedure, you may be concerned that the resulting scar will be something that’ll ruin the look of your new and improved midsection. Although there’s no way to completely prevent a scar from your tummy tuck, rest assured that all hope of looking fantastic in a bikini is not lost.

What Exactly Is a Scar?

Scars are a buildup of tissue caused by skin healing back together after some type of disruption. The healing process for any scar is tricky to predict. There are many factors that go into how a scar will mature and the majority of scars do improve significantly over time. Proper nutrition and care of the damaged skin can help reduce scarring, but frustrating as it may be, there’s no easy way to tell how a scar will heal.

Location, Location, Location

Fortunately, you have another factor working in your favor: location. You’d probably care more about a scar on the middle of your face than you would about one hidden beneath your hair, right? If the preceding is true, you’re in luck. No, there is no new magical tummy tuck via scalp surgery, but the same rules about discreet location still apply.

The placement of your tummy tuck scar will typically be low enough on your abdomen that it can be hidden by everyday clothing, including your swimsuit. That way, even if the scar doesn’t heal quite the way you’d like it to, you can rest easy knowing that your two-piece will most likely keep everything hidden that should be.