How to Reduce Breast Augmentation Scars

Nov 14, 2013 @ 11:35 AM — by Dina Eliopoulos

One concern about breast augmentation is the amount of scarring that results. Scarring cannot be totally eliminated during any sort of surgery. However, today’s procedures allow you greater choices on where incisions are made, which can help you control the size and location of scars. Understanding what is possible will help you make a choice that works for you.

During a consultation, we will address each woman’s unique needs, and help our patients in Chelmsford understand which surgical and lifestyle choices can help reduce breast augmentation scars.

An important starting place is understanding where the surgical scar will be. In a consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Dina A. Eliopoulos, you will have the information needed to make an informed decision about the surgical technique, which determines the location of the surgical scar.

Places where the surgical incision can be made include:

• In the armpit
• At the base of the breast
• Around the areola

All of these have pluses and minuses. Dr. Eliopoulos can explain your options and advise you on which procedures best fit your needs and desires.

What You Can Do to Reduce Scarring

There are also steps patients can take to improve their breast augmentation results:

• Follow your care guidelines. After surgery, you will be provided care instructions for recovery after plastic surgery. Following these instructions will improve your recovery.
• Wear your surgical bra after surgery. The use of a surgical bra can compress the scar and potentially minimize its appearance. When you return to a normal bra you should wear it night and day for at least six months to protect the incision. You want to avoid bras that rub and irritate your incision, such as an underwire bra.
• Use silicone sheets and/or pressure bandages. Silicone sheets provide pressure and moisture and may help reduce the thickness of scars. Dr. Eliopoulos can advise you on these products and how to use them. Pressure bandages also help flatten scars.
• Don’t put stress on the incision. Pulling or causing stress to the incision can slow healing and increase the chance of scarring.
• Massage. Once your incision has healed, gently massage the site for 15 to 30 seconds a few times a day. Massaging helps break down the collagen in the underlying tissue.
• Use sunscreen. Ultraviolet rays can slow healing and encourage hyperpigmentation, which is the darkening of the skin. You should consider a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher that has zinc or titanium dioxide to protect against both UVA and UVB rays.
• Keep your follow-up appointments. By seeing us for your post-operative checkups we can ensure your healing is on course.

Lifestyle Choices

Naturally, a healthy body heals faster so we encourage our patients to make healthy lifestyle choices:

• Eat a healthy diet. Remember protein makes up the building blocks of healing skin so we recommend including protein in your diet. If you are vegetarian, beans, quinoa, and soy products contain protein.
• Stop smoking. Smoking can interfere with the healing process. Prolonging the healing time increases the chance of scarring. So if you smoke, consider this as a great incentive to stop.
• Reduce alcohol and caffeine. Both of these dehydrate your body and skin and may slow healing.
• Get enough rest. Being exhausted can slow wound healing, so rest when you need to.

Some people are more prone to scarring than others. If this happens to you, we can advise you on additional options to address a stubborn scar.

Need More Information?

A successful breast augmentation includes understanding the process, including steps you can do both before and after surgery to reduce scarring. You are bound to have questions. Please contact Chelmsford plastic surgeon Dr. Eliopoulos so together you can discuss what concerns you.