Breast Reduction: Q&A

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Can Photofacial Help Reduce Breast Reduction Scars?

I had a breast reduction done about 4 years ago and am left with scars on my breasts. I've been to a medical spa and they've said a series of photo facial will improve the appearance. Is this true? Can photo facial help improve the appearnce of scars left from surgery? If not, whats my best bet?

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15 Doctor Answers | Asked by m_dvaz in Toronto, ON

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Breast Reduction Scars: Postoperative Correction Options

Breast reduction scars are usually T-shaped with a vertical component and a large transverse component along the inframmary crease. These scars tend to present with three different problems: Hypertrophic scars Discoloration Widening of scars Treatment of these scars can be done with basic treatments to address the thickening and pigmentation of the scars. This can be performed with injections in the office or topical creams. If scars are widened, surgical revision may be required. more

Breast Reduction and Scars?

Unfortunately, 4 years after breast reduction, your scars will be “mature”; many modalities of treatment that might have some effect early on after surgery will likely not be effective at this stage. However, the use of steroid injection and/or scar revision may improve the appearance of the scars. Consultation with a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeon may be helpful.

Improving breast reduction scars

Today, there are many techniques for patients to help improve the characteristics of their scars. Patients may benefit from an excision of the scar and trading the thicker scar with a thinner less obvious one. Patients may also benefit from dermabrasion or laser treatment to these scars. Your best bet is to work with the board-certified plastic surgeon who has a great deal of experience in breast reduction techniques and scar revision. They will help you choose the option that will... more

Photofacial will NOT Improve 4 year old Breast Reduction Scars

All surgical scars are permanent and cannot be erased by any current treatments. However, the maturation process can last up to a year. Early in this process when the scars are still red due to blood vessel infiltration this coloration could be improved with IPL that targets blood vessels. Although the scars themselves will NOT be changed, the scars will reach their silvery mature appearance earlier. I suspect this medical spa was trying to perform another procedure on you referred in... more

Improving breast reduction scars

The answer depends on what you want to improve. There are 3 things to consider that may need to be addressed: the color of the scar, whether the scar is flat or raised, and the texture of the scar. Is the scar red, white, raised, etc. If the scar is raised, steroid injections may help. If this fails to improve the scar, excision and reclosure can help; this is sometimes combined with LASER treatments beginning a few weeks after the surgery. If the scar is a flat, white line, you... more

IPL not recommended for Breast Reduction scars

There are several treatments that we think can or will help with reduction of surgical scars but the IPL is not one we recommend. It's substandard compared to the option. You should evaluate these before ever considering IPL: Surgical revision for redness/brown and or texture Pulsed Dye Lasers for redness Q-switched lasers for brown Steroid injections for texture(debulking of raised scars While the IPL may have some positive benefit, it would be less than the alternatives noted above.... more

Harold J. Kaplan, MD

4 reviews

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.celibre.com

Fraxel re:store Dual will work for surgical scars, not IPL

IPL will not work for surgical scars EXCEPT for the redness associated with a scar. To make the scar more smooth and smaller, a Fraxel re:store Dual or Fraxel re:pair is needed. This make cookie cutter holes in the scar microscopically. The holes are then filled in with newer, healthier skin. The 1927 part of the Dual has not been studied but my guess is that adding this will improve the scar even more. Much has been written and studied regard the re:store regarding scars. I have... more

Steven F. Weiner, MD

5 reviews

Pensacola Facial Plastic Surgeon

theclinique.net

Photofacial may help improve breast reduction scars

Easy answer to give. Yes, Photofacial MAY help. But I would ask what guarantee is available if after the series of treatments you are not happy. You see after 4 years the surgery scars are mature and the immature collagen in the scars is matures now. So can light therapy help? Well I never say never, but I really doubt it. Thus, I would want an out if I was not happy. I agree with the previous expert to get a Plastic surgeon's opinion for possible scar revision.

Photofacial will probably not help with breast reduction scars

Hello, You might want to have those scars evaluated for possible revision. Laser or light treatments will likely not make them much better although they usually get at least a little better with time.

No

Scarring is a response to injury. After breast reduction, the scars are the result of surgical trauma. Attacking a scar with a technique that creates further injury is illogical and does not work. If there are small visible blood vessels in and around the scar, they can be eliminated with a laser. But reducint the bulk of by other topical treatments, lasers or otherwise, will not work. If the scars are mature and unacceptable, you might want to consider a formal scar revision.... more

IPL may reduce scars

Vacular lasers can improve scars AS WE HAVE SHOWN BACK IN 1996. If using an IPL device, it should be very targeted or programmable like the Cutera LimeLight Program A to reduce the scarring. Keep in mind , this is not as powerful as the laser and may not acheive the same results

Helpful to have the Photofacial target the blood vessels

More and more research is showing that scar production has a large contribution from the inflammatory component and that blood flow is a perpetuator. Intense pulse light and photofacials (or laser scar revision)can be used to target the blood flow to the scar and hence stiffle the blood flow that is feeding the scar production. Ultimately, this leads to less scarring and a better appearance to the scar. Timing is important, your scar should be in the inflammatory stage where blood... more

Philip Young, MD

6 reviews

Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

Photofacial not helpful for scar treatment

Light based treatments can help speed up the resolution of redness in scars but to effect scar remodeling or the thickness of the scar is a stretch. Full ablation or fractionated laser ablation is best. Fraxel nonablative is ok at best... I would recommend seeing a dermatologist or plastic surgeon for help with scarring of the skin

Photofacial won't help surgical scars

IPL therapy will not likely help your scars. Therapies that will improve the appearance of some scars depends on the nature of the scar. If the scar is wide and flat - re-excision with meticulous closure may help If your scar is thick and raised - steroid injection may improve the contour If your scar is dark or red - there are laser treatments that can make small differences, but they need to be tailored to the scar and expectations should be tempered. Try going back to your surgeon,... more

IPL treatment can really only help improve the redness....

IPL treatment can really only help improve the redness. I doubt that the scars are still red after 4 years. Most scars mature enough after about 1 year that by then the redness has all but disappeared.