Breast Augmentation: Cost, Reviews, Photos

Unfortunately, scarring is unavoidable with any surgery. However, the quality of the scar can be controlled to some extent.

Factors that contribute to more visible scarring that can be managed include: scar placement, technique of closure, and tension of closure.

Periareolar scars tend to heal well due to their placement. Anytime an incision is made in a location where there is shadowing or color change, the scar tends to hide well.

Technique of closure is controlled by the surgeon. Tension is affected by the size of the implant. The larger the implant, the higher the tension and thus the tendency for the scar to widen.

Tension can be relieved by postoperative tape placement during the first several weeks of the healing process. Factors that are not manageable include skin color and genetic predisposition to scar formation. (Naveen Setty, MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)

All scars improve for up to 2 years. The quality of scarring depends on the skin type & to a lesser extent on the surgical technique. Conservative measures like silicon gel & pressure can help. If nothing else works,the scars can be revised under local aneasthesia. (Anup Dhir, MD, India Plastic Surgeon)

Dermatix scar treatment works well for breast augmentation scars.

Most breast augmentation scars heal quite nicely. Usually we have our patients massage their scars and apply a silicone gel scar ointment, for example Dermatix, twice daily for four months post procedure. Even so, it takes about 1 year before you see the scar at its best. (Regina L. Rosenthal, MD, Bay Area Plastic Surgeon)

Scars after areolar breast augmentation

Scars are rarely an issue after breast augmentation regardless of where the incisions are made. However, occasionally scars can become unsightly and a source of concern. Massaging scars can help to flatten them and make them softer. Topical treatments which contain silicone can also be helpful. In addition, silicone sheeting has been used for years to improve the appearance of scars. Infrequently, scar revision is performed by excising the scar completely and closing the wound meticulously. (Kelly Gallego, MD, FACS, Yuba City Plastic Surgeon)

Scars after breast augmentation

I recommend silicone gel and/or silicone scar sheets for scars that show signs of thickening or excessive prominence in the first few weeks after surgery. However, this is very uncommon with breast augmentation scars.

In most patients, the scars heal very well and fade nicely with time (several months up to a year) without any additional treatment. If you do wish to use silicone gel or sheeting, there are many good products available online. (Amy M. Sprole, MD, Wichita Plastic Surgeon)

I have found that the best way to heal scars, old and new, is by using silicone based gel or sheeting. This product has been clinically proven to help the appearance of scars to fade. I recommend these products to all of my patients post operatively. (Miguel Delgado, MD, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon)

Periareolar scars tend to fade with time, and depending on how long ago you had breast augmentation there may be different approaches to improve the appearance of the scars. Usually topical creams and silicone gel sheeting may be helpful, and steroid injections may be considered as well for hypertrophic scars. (Olivia Hutchinson, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Seek out the advice and expertise of your surgeon. We use aggressive scar massage, silicone gel with SPF30, gel sheeting and laser scar management to help minimize scarring. Your surgeon is a great resource. (John Philip Connors III, MD, FACS, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

Areolar scars after breast augmentation

Talk to your surgeon about scar revision, which is typically an office procedure done under local anesthesia. (Carmen Kavali, MD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

First of all, we would need more information from you, such as how long ago was your surgery? Did you have any wound healing problems? Did you have an infection? Scars take a long time to “mature.”

Most plastic surgeons will not revise a breast augmentation scar until at least 3 to 6 months have passed. The options for scar IMPROVEMENT have already been listed. Incisions around the nipple usually do heal very well, but in some patients a revision is necessary. Most physicians will use a combination of taping, steroids, and scar revision.

I routinely use Fraxel laser skin resurfacing for many scars on the body and it does improve them. HOWEVER, you can never remove the breast augmentation scar, but you can usually make it less noticeable. (Sirish Maddali, MD, Portland Plastic Surgeon)

Breast augmentation scar don’t go away, but do improve with time.

An incision for surgery is permanent. This doesn’t mean it won’t fade with time and become less visible. It often takes 12-18 months for a breast augmentation scar to mature or improve. If the breast augmentation scar has discoloration or redness after this time, there are laser procedures that can improve the appearance. If the scar is thick, it can be injected with steroids to reduce the fullness. The periareolar incision usually heals very nicely over time. The color difference between the breast skin and the nipple tends to hide the incision. Try and be patient. Discuss your concerns with your doctor and he/she may have some helpful suggestions. (David A. Dreyfuss, MD)

Breast augmentation scars improve with time

The areolar incision for breast augmentation is a good choice. In most cases, the incision can be virtually hidden in the transition from the light colored skin to the dark colored skin of the areola. Sometimes if there is too much tension from a very large implant or too much trauma from stretching during surgery (also associated with very large implants), then the scar is not ideal initially. This is due to the damage done to the skin cells at the site of the incision. The scar can be wider, redder, or thicker than intended. Over time, all of these issue improve significantly. If you look at you scar 6 months from now, you will likely be very surprised. Things that you can do to help include,

1. protecting the breast augmentation scar from the sun and using a skin lotion with SPF greater than 30,
2. silicone sheeting and/or
3. taping to the breast augmentation scar.

In rare circumstances, it is necessary to do a scar revision, but you should let the tissues heal and the scar settle for at least 6 months to a year before considering a scar revision. (David Shafer, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

You Can Hide But You Can’t Run (From Scars)

The peri-areolar incision is my favorite approach for Breast Augmentation, because the scar is hidden by every type of clothing. By virtue of the scar location on the border between the darker skin of the areola and the lighter skin of the breast, it is usually invisible to casual observation.

Finally, the same scar can be re-used in the event that future breast surgery is required. Nevertheless, the peri-areolar scar sometimes becomes more visible than desired, due to thickening, fading, widening, or improper placement.

Depending upon the problem with the scar, there are treatments that can be done to lessen it’s appearance, including the use of silicone gel sheeting, steroid injection, laser treatment, or surgical revision. Your surgeon can best determine which approach will work for your particular problem.

Once there is a surgical scar, it never disappears completely, and it can only be hidden to a greater or lesser extent by the tricks of plastic surgery. You can hide the scar, but it never goes away for good. (Athleo Louis Cambre, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)

Peri-areolar scars after breast implants

It would be helpful to have a little more information about the scars and/or a photograph. Are the scars widened, raised/thick, red, or have a starburst appearance?

Generally scars can be improved. The solution depends on the problem. If they are widened, they can be surgically revised. If they are raised, they can be injected with steroids to flatten them and excised if that does not work. If they are red, they can be treated with LASER to reduce redness.

A starburst appearance can sometimes be surgically revised; this is usually the hardest issue to address. If there is limited skin remaining or the areola is high, sometimes they cannot be revised.

In this case, tatooing by a professional medical tatoo artist can help camaflouge the appearance of the scars; I have had great success with this. After any surgery I have my patients wear paper tape on their scars for 3 months to promote the formation of fine scars. For patients who are allergic to adhesive, we use either Mederma or Scar Guard. Silicone sheets can help as well. You should also take Vitamin C and zinc. (Tracy Pfeifer, MD, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Areola scars after breast implants

If you have unfavorable scars after having a breast implants surgery, then you may be a candidate for a scar revision. This usually does better the second time around after the tissues have been stretched from the initial surgery. (Steven Wallach, MD, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

It is very unusual to have problems with breast implants scars. They may improve with time. But if they don’t, scars can be improved with scar revision or with various lasers. (George J. Beraka, MD (retired), Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Peri-areolar scars from breast augmentation tend to get better with time. I would recommend you wait a year. If the scars are wide, a scar revision may be helpful once the scars have softened. Sun screen (once the are at least somewhat mature) can help them fade if they are pigmented. (John P. Di Saia, MD, Orange Plastic Surgeon)

Reducing scars following breast implants

In my experience, the combination of laser therapy and scar guard accelrate the healing of breast implants scars, and help to minimize the appearance of these scars after breast implants. (Michael Law, MD, Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon)

Scars will fade, but never disappear

Unfortunately, scars are a necessary evil in cosmetic surgery of all sorts. Surely, this discussion took place with your operating surgeon before you underwent the procedure. The periareolar scar is generally a very good choice and usually heals almost invisibly. There are conditions such as keloid and hypertrophic scarring (both more common in skin of color) that can cause very unsightly scar formation.

If this is the case, your surgeon should have suggestions for improving their appearance. Sometimes the periareolar scar is very visible if it is not placed exactly at the border of the areolar and the breast skin.

If this is the case, then a scar revision may be possible to more accurately relocate the scar to this important transition zone. (Kenneth R. Francis, MD, FACS, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Breast implants scars around the areola usually heal nicely.

The scars from a breast augmentation around the areola usually heal nicely, but for a few patients their own healing response can make the scars visible and unsightly. What can you do to prevent bad scarring? Prevention – the best way not to have bad scars is to fight them off before you get them. A) Put silicone sheeting or gel on the scars as soon as your doctor thinks it is appropriate B) put sunblock on the scars even if you are wearing a bathing suit. The ultraviolet rays can penetrate through your bathing suit causing the scar to become white. Repairing an already visible scar. For lighter scars – you can tattoo color into the scar as a camouflage. For darker scars – you can laser the scar to reduce the color. For raised scars – you can continue with the silicone sheeting or consult with your surgeon regarding steroid tapes or injections (Robert M. Freund, MD, )

Peri-areolar scars after breast implants

It would be helpful to have a little more information about the scars and/or a photograph. Are the scars widened, raised/thick, red, or have a starburst appearance?

Generally scars can be improved. The solution depends on the problem. If they are widened, they can be surgically revised. If they are raised, they can be injected with steroids to flatten them and excised if that does not work. If they are red, they can be treated with LASER to reduce redness.

A starburst appearance can sometimes be surgically revised; this is usually the hardest issue to address. If there is limited skin remaining or the areola is high, sometimes they cannot be revised.

In this case, tatooing by a professional medical tatoo artist can help camaflouge the appearance of the scars; I have had great success with this. After any surgery I have my patients wear paper tape on their scars for 3 months to promote the formation of fine scars. For patients who are allergic to adhesive, we use either Mederma or Scar Guard. Silicone sheets can help as well. You should also take Vitamin C and zinc. (Tracy Pfeifer, MD, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Areola scars after breast implants

If you have unfavorable scars after having a breast implants surgery, then you may be a candidate for a scar revision. This usually does better the second time around after the tissues have been stretched from the initial surgery. (Steven Wallach, MD, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)