Why does it really take 3-6 months for final results after gynecomastia or lipo?

Most of the healing occurs in the first 6-8 weeks as the collagen and scar tissue is building up but also swelling may persist for months. Seek a plastic surgeon with specialty training in #gynecomastia surgery, has great photos, and is an expert in male breast reduction.

Seeing the #final results can take some time as each breast commonly heal at different rates of each other. Also, your incisions will go through a maturation process after #gynecomastia surgery. For the first few months they will be red and possibly raised and/or firm. As the scar matures, after 6-12 months, it becomes soft, pale, flat, and much less noticeable. You may experience numbness, tingling, burning, “crawling”, or other peculiar sensations around the surgical area. This is a result of the healing of tiny fibers which are trapped in the incision site. These symptoms will disappear. Some people are prone to keloids, which is an abnormal scar that becomes prominent. If you or a blood relative has a tendency to keloid formation, please inform the doctor.

Bruising and #swelling are normal and usually increase slightly after the removal of any tape or foam. The bruising will decrease over 3-4 weeks, but may last as long as 6 weeks. The majority of the swelling will be gone within the first 3-4 weeks. However, it may take 6-9 weeks to disappear completely. 

Also, as you heal, the area may feel “lumpy” and irregular. This, too, decreases with time, and massaging these areas will help soften the scar tissue. The #compression garment helps reduce the swelling, and the longer it is worn, the more quickly you will #heal. It can also assist in the retraction of the skin.  In the future, any #indentations may be addressed with fat #grafting or #cosmetic #fillers if you are  deemed a good fit.If you have any concerns about #healing, its best to ask questions of your surgeon or their nursing staff.

In 6-7 weeks post op you should see about 80% of your result. The final 20% could take up to 6 months. The reason for this is because of normal swelling, contouring and maturation of scars could take up to 6 months to settle.