Blog Article
Breast Augmentation Essentials: What Will My Scars Look Like?
Breast augmentation scars are an unavoidable aspect of breast enhancement surgery. Your surgeon will have to make surgical incisions through which your breast implants can be inserted. The appearance of your breast augmentation scars will depend on the location of these incisions, scar maintenance after surgery, and how your body heals.
Breast Augmentation Scar Location
Your breast augmentation scars may be in one of three locations:
- Near the Armpit: The transaxillary incision is near the armpit. It limits the type of breast implants you can get, but you will have no scarring on your breasts.
- Around the Areola: The periareolar incision is placed around the areola (the dark circle of skin surrounding the nipples). It limits the type of breast implants you can get, but your scars will blend into the edge of the areola.
- Along the Breast Crease: The inframammary incision extends horizontally along the crease underneath the breasts. It places no limitations on the type of breast implants you can get, and the scars are mostly hidden beneath the breasts themselves.
Before choosing your incision location, your surgeon will discuss your options with you in detail. Factors such as your preferred scar appearance will be weighed together with your implant preferences and desired results before determining the best location for your breast augmentation scars.
Scar Management After Breast Augmentation
At the end of the surgery, your surgical incisions will be closed with sutures and then covered. You will be given specific instructions on how to minimize scarring from your breast augmentation incisions. These will include taking medications, avoiding strenuous exercise, following guidelines for arm movement, and learning how to wash your wounds and manage their dressings. These instructions will be especially important in the first few weeks of your recovery.
Your post-operative instructions will help your scars heal well and are necessary to reduce your risk of complications. For example, patients who ignore the counsel against strenuous exercise during early recovery may tear their incision, creating a larger wound and a resulting larger scar. Similarly, patients who fail to keep their incisions and wound dressings clean risk forming an infection that could significantly worsen their scarring. Take care to observe all recommendations regarding the care of your breast surgery incisions, and you will be helping your body heal with minimal scarring.
Breast Augmentation Scars and Healing
Like all surgery scars, breast augmentation scars appear to worsen before they begin to look better. Over the weeks following surgery, your scars will at first darken and redden; this should be expected and is normal for scar healing. As the months go by, the scars will progressively flatten, lighten, and fade.
Scarring after breast augmentation can vary from patient to patient. Individuals who have a history of poor scarring may need to take extra care to minimize their scars, such as using silicone scar sheets and creams. All patients who make efforts to improve scar healing by carefully following postoperative instructions, minimizing sun exposure, and observing good skin care can hope for good results for their scars. In most cases, breast augmentation scars will eventually fade until they are hardly noticeable.
To learn more about breast augmentation scars, schedule an appointment with our board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Mouchantat. Call (303) 232-8585 or visit us online to request your consultation today.
