I had a breast reduction & lift 15 months ago. I am very pleased with the way my breast look now except for the scars. The scars seemed to be healing very well after three months until I went to a tanning salon ( I was not told not too). Now the scars appear very red and somewhat raised. I have tried the mederma cream and it has not done anthing to the appearance. What treatment or proceudre should I consider?
How to Get Rid of Red and Raised Breast Reduction Scars?
Doctor Answers (15)
What you are describing does happen from time to time after breast reduction surgery, but there are a few things that can be done to improve their appearance, including scar massage, silicone ointment or sheets, and steriod injections. There is also the surgical option of a scar revision, but I would wait at least 2 years in your case until you have tried these other, non-surgical treatments, prior to have a scar revision. The non-surgical treatments should help the scars flatten and become less red, but if they are wide scars, then usually the only remaining option will be a surgical revision, which can work very nicely to narrow them.
Sounds like you are very happy overall, and that's what counts!
Good luck,
Dr. Salemy
Web reference: http://www.drsalemy.com
It is common for scars to fully mature for up to a year. In the meantime, there are a few things that may help to ameliorate your incision/scar. The most proven (as well as cheapest) modality is simple scar massage. Applying pressure and massaging the well-healed scar has been shown to improve the appearance as it breaks up the scar tissue, hopefully producing the finest scar as possible. Other things that have been shown to add some benefit, albeit controversial, are silicone sheets, hydration, and topical steroids. In addition, avoidance of direct sunlight to the incision will significantly help the appearance as they tend to discolor with UV light during the healing process.
If unsightly scars are still present after approximately a year's time, other things that your surgeon may consider are intralesional steroid injections, laser, or just surgical revision of the scar itself. Given your main concerns with the scars, at 15 months, either steroid injections or consideration for surgical scar revision may be considered.
Hope that this helps! Best wishes!
If unsightly scars are still present after approximately a year's time, other things that your surgeon may consider are intralesional steroid injections, laser, or just surgical revision of the scar itself. Given your main concerns with the scars, at 15 months, either steroid injections or consideration for surgical scar revision may be considered.
Hope that this helps! Best wishes!
Thank you for the question.
Sometimes the use of silicone-based products and/or steroid injection may be helpful. Sometimes scar revision surgery and careful scar management afterwards may be helpful. Despite anecdotal reports otherwise I have not seen significant improvement with laser treatment of scars.
Best wishes.
Web reference: http://www.poustiplasticsurgery.com/Procedures/procedure_breastreduction.htm
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Fifteen months is a long time to have actively healing scars, but it is not out of the question. You probably need more time. A scar revision starts the process over and you might be where you are now 15 months after the revision. Scar creams don't work. Check with your plastic surgeons. Occasionally steriod injections may help but should be done judiciously.
Web reference: http://www.zubowicz.com/subpag,13-atlanta-breast-augmentation.htm
Red and raised scars 15 months after breast reduction are not normal. The tanning bed certainly didn't help, but it shouldn't have made the scars raised. You may have hypertrophic scarring, which may require more than just some lotions or creams to impove. See your plastic surgeon again for scar treatment recommendations.
Scarring after breast reduction is typically very mild. If you have read and raised breast reduction scars 15 months after surgery, this needs to be evaluated. Your skin may be having a reaction to the suture that was used for the closure. There are several options for your condition. Arrange an evaluation with a board-certified plastic surgeon so that they may assess your scars. They may recommend a small injection of steroid medication to help settle the scars. They may also recommend a scar revision where the thick red scarves are excise and replaced with thinner scars. If you should decide to proceed with a scar revision, be sure to use silicone sheeting over these new scars to make sure that he'll as smoothly and as flat as possible.
Without seeing you it is not possible to know what is going on. You could have hypertrophic scarring but without examining you I can not recommend treatment.
Best Regards.
Tanning salons are a "NO NO." The scars are usually more sensitive to UV rays and can cause hyperpigmentation as I suppose happened to you. Keep them protected from the Sun or tanning booths.
Healing is an individual thing. Usually scars mature in less than a year, but they can take many years for the reddness and thickness to go away. You need to see your surgeon and let them decide what is the best thing to do.
Managment of hypertrophic scars requires that they be distiguished from keloids which continue to grow well beyond the borders of the original incision. It sounds as if you have hypertrophic scars which can grow for a period of 2 years after surgery.
- In the meantime scar management modalities include:
- Pressure therapy
- Massage
- Silicone gel sheeting: this is incovenient and most people prefer silcone ointment type preparations
- Use of sunblock
- Intralesional steroid (kenalog) injections
In the case of keloid type scars other options include:
- Rarely intralesional 5 FU injections
- Rarely radiation therapy
Mederma, Vitamin E, Aloe Vera, Cocoa Butter, and Lanolin are all popular but have not been shown to truly have any consistent effect on scars.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.