Top FAQs About Scars after Breast Surgery

·       Did you know breast reconstruction surgery provides the opportunity to restore the appearance of breasts, but postop scars are a common concern managed by careful measures?

·       Did you know a board-certified plastic surgeon will take care of camouflaging incision lines during your breast surgery?

·       Did you know most scars from breast reduction surgery are thin lines that vary in colour from your natural skin tone?

·       Did you know scars result from scar tissue formation in response to healing the incisions and sutures and can be concealed if you follow postop instructions?

Scars after breast surgery are not uncommon as every surgical procedure carries risks and discomforts in response to healing development, and scars are one of them. However, gentle postop care and instructions are given to patients undergoing breast surgeries, including breast augmentation, breast reduction, and breast lift.

Dr. Karishma Kagodu, MS, M CH., a board-certified plastic surgeon and head of Dr. Karishma Aesthetics, Indiranagar, Bangalore, noted that incisions are made to perform surgery in order to insert the prosthesis (implants) or to perform reconstruction job, or either a breast reduction or breast lift is done based on a patient’s requirement. And so, sutures/ stitches are done to close up the incisions, resulting in scar tissue formation. Scar tissue is new skin tissue that fills the gap caused by an incision, often appearing as thin lines that vary in colour from your skin tone.

Top FAQ – Scars after Breast surgery

1.    What do breast reduction scars look and feel like?

Usually, breast reduction scars are thin lines that may vary in shade in terms of lighter or darker than your natural skin tone. However, the pronounced scars require scar care measures to fade as much as possible. Good scar care management could include creams or ointments, injections and massages. Scars after breast reduction may be pinkish, reddish, greyish, dark brown, or purple; some people are prone to developing raised keloid scars and require attentive scar care treatments postop.

2.    What should I do if I develop raised and thick scars after a breast lift?

At Kaesthetics, Dr. Karishma Kagodu has found that early scarring is manageable and responds well to injections and lasers. With time, scars may become more resistant or hard, necessitating surgery and laser in combination to achieve the best results.

3.    What Should I do when my breast augmentation scars are quite raised, thick, and visible when I lie on my back?

As scar care management, injections, and lasers can be recommended just as any scars can. But it may take more than one treatment, and extreme precision and precaution are required to make sure not to injure the implants during the injections.

4.    What are the complications of breast reduction scars?

Two types of complications are responsible for raised scars after breast reduction surgery: keloid and hypertrophic scars.

Keloid scars: These are raised scars that grow larger than your incision site. However, it is more pronounced. Keloid scars may become more resistant and do not fade, thus requiring attentive scar care treatments. These scars are more common with darker skin people and require injection and lasers as a treatment measure.

Hypertrophic scars: These scars usually appear one-to-two months after surgery and are raised. Hypertrophic scars are limited to incision sites and do not extend beyond that. These scars are addressed with creams, ointments, or massages and fade over time. Thus, pressure garments are instructed to wear postop during the healing period to weaken any scars that may appear postop. In some cases, injection may also be advisable to flatten the scars based on the intensity and colour of your scar.

5.    Only one part of my breast lift scar is raised; what can I do about this?

No matter what area the scars appear or shade you have, the recommended treatment measures include injection and lasers if the scars are raised. After treatment, your scars will be flattened, and you will experience a noticeable improvement.

If you want to know more or seeking scar care treatment after breast surgery, call Dr. Karishma Kagodu, MS, M CH., at +91 8042036382, +91 9108969006, +91 7624809006 and schedule your consultation today.