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Where Will I Have Scars After Breast Enhancement Surgery?

I want breast implants, but I don't want obvious scars. Do I have a choice regarding where the incisions are made?

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All incisions for breast augmentation are quite inconspicuous.

The 4 incisions for augmentation include the armpit, the belly button, the crease under the breast, and the bottom on the areola. The armpit and belly button are the least accurate in terms of making a perfectly symmetrical pocket for the implants because of their distance from the working area. The armpit also has been associated with numbness in the upper inner arm similar to what happens when breast cancer patients have lymph nodes removed. Since most patients currently want silicone... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Implant scar options

If you do this, the implant has to be placed somewhere .. and no, the belly button is not a good choice. The options are the armpit, the areola and the fold under the breast. They all feel the same after surgery. The armpit one leaves your breast without scars but it requires the lower pole (bottom) of your breast to not need any work. The areola leaves a scar that needs to be placed perfectly so it's not visible and you need areolae larger than 30mm in diameter... more

Ricardo A. Meade, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

The most common incision made nationally is the...

The most common incision made nationally is the Inframmary Crease Incision, which is placed just slightly above the breast fold. Other incisions can be made: Around the areola (pigmented tissue surrounding the nipple) Beneath the arm (axillary approach) While a few physicians promote implant placement through the belly button, most Board Certified Plastic Surgeons do not consider this to be a safe or necessary approach. In my practice, I tend to use more cohesive silicone gel implants than... more

Gregory A. Buford, MD

Denver Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Scars from breast augmentation

Regardless of the incision made to place breast implants, the incision site results in a scar. The main locations for breast implant scars include: Under the breast (inframammary) Around or within the areola (periareolar) In the armpit (axillary) In the belly button (TUBA - only available with saline implants) The choice of incision is based on the size of implant, the type (saline or silicone), your own unique anatomy (size of areolas, etc.), and placement of... more

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David Bogue, MD

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

Choices for breast augmentation scars

Anywhere an incision is made, a scar will form. It is a natural part of the healing process. When it comes to breast augmentation, women have four choices for the incision site. The most popular technique used at my office is through the areola. This is because: 1) the skin is thin and heals much quicker, 2) there is a natural border to hide the scar and 3) a special technique is utilized when placing the implant so less pressure is placed on the incision, allowing for a thinner more... more

Tarick K. Smaili, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Choosing your incision for breast augmentation

If you have surgery, you will have scars. There is no magic way to perform scarless surgery. But you can have nearly invisible scars with good technique and a good plan. Breast implants can be put in through four different incisions: at the edge of the areolae, under the breasts, in the under arm, and in the belly button. I don't recommend the bely button incision since it leaves a visible scar at the belly button, the surgery is done blind through a long tunnel, and you may void the... more

Adam Rubinstein, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Scar placement for Breast Augmentation

Hi there- There are many options... you should understand that the outcomes from the different approaches are not equivalent. Provided you select a well qualified and talented surgeon, any of the scars should heal inconspicuously. For more on the topic of choices in Breast Augmentation, read the following: Achieving the Beautiful Breasts You Desire! One of the things I find most interesting is the amount of misinformation the average patient must sift through when researching breast augmentatio more

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Armando Soto, MD

Orlando Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

You always have choices for breast implants incisions

There are many ways to do the operation and there are good and bad things about each one. This is one of the items to discuss with your surgeon before you have your operation. Best Regards.

John P. Di Saia, MD

Orange Plastic Surgeon

Scar placement for breast implants

Placement can be in the fold under the breast (inframammary approach), under the armpit (axillary approach), under the nipple (infraareolar approach), and through the belly button. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Read more on the link below for an illustration of where the scars are, and the video for when there are minor asymmetries to be corrected, where we use a scar above the nipple (supraareolar scar) see video

Ricardo Rodriguez, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Breast implant scar placement pros and cons

You do have choice, and if a surgeon is dogmatic about using a certain incision site for everyone, go somewhere else. As you read the other answers to this question, you can see there are a lot of different opinions. Here, in my opinion are the pros and cons of the approaches: Periareolar: Pro - Discreet in some patients. Con - Right there on the front of your breast. If it doesn't heal perfectly, it will be obvious. The one approach that dissects through breast tissue, with... more

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Douglas J. Mackenzie, MD

Santa Barbara Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Incision location for breast augmentation

It depends on the surgeon. I discuss the pros and cons of each incision with my patients and we decide together. Other surgeons prefer one approach over another. You should feel very comfortable discussing this with your board certified plastic surgeon. If you feel your concerns are not being answered, please find another surgeon with whom you feel comfortable. The reason there is no one approach is because there is no one best way to do it. So anyone who insists on one way over the other... more

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Tracy Pfeifer, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Incision placement for breast augmentation

All breast augmentation procedures require an incision. The good news is that most of these incisions are relatively small and can be camouflaged. There are four approaches for breast augmentation:inframammary crease (hiding the scar underneath the breast)periareolar (hiding the scar at the border of your areola)transaxillary (armpit crease incision)tuba (transumbilical) (through the belly button). Talk to your surgeon about these options. He/She will recommend what's best based on your... more

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C. Bob Basu, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Breast Augmentation Scars

Every surgery is associated with a permanent scar. Fortunately, the scars associated with breast augmentation surgery are short, well-concealed and hardly noticeable. They can either be as a short "smile" along the bottom of the nipple complex, breast fold, armpit or belly button. Each of these approaches has its advantages and disadvantages and in my opinion the nipple complex approach offers the best balance of advantages to disadvantages. Your surgeon has the duty to advise you... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD

Memphis Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Incision for Breast Implants

You should discuss your options in Breast Augmentation with your PS. You have options in chosing the incision: 1. inframammary incision 2. periareolar Incision 3. Axillary incision 4. Umbilical Incion Remember the further you are from the breast the more the complications. Sometimes when doing a Tummy tuck you can put the implants through that incision so that ther is no incision on the breast.

Samir Shureih, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Breast implant incision location

Incision locations for breast augmentation can vary. The most common incisions are the transaxillary approach in the armpit, the breast fold (inframammary) or along the border of the areola (periareola). You can decide on the incision with your doctor.

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Scars after breast augmentation

I offer breast augmentation through either an infra-areolar, infra-mammary or transaxillary approach. I do not perform the trans-umbilical approach because of the difficulty encountered in placing the implant precisely and the fact that the scar may be unsightly. If you are adamant that you don't want a scar on your breast, then the trans-axillary approach may be for you, but remember only saline implants can be placed this way and the scar may be visible in tanktops and swimsuits. Keep in... more

Jeffrey Horowitz, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Scars after Breast Augmentation

There are four ways breast augmentation can be performed: peri-areolar, inframmamary, trans-axillary, and trans-umbilical. Peri-areolar means around the areola. The incision is typically made at the lowest border of the areola. The incision heals very well in majority of cases. However, if one looks closely, a white thin" smile" will be visible. This is especially true if you have dark skin. Remember scars do not have melanin and, therefore, are lighter than the surrounding skin.... more

Michael A. Jazayeri, MD

Santa Ana Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Breast implant scarring

Breast implants are placed into the pocket behind the breast through a variety of incisions. Some approaches, like those in the bellybutton or axilla (under the arm) are felt to be somewhat more problematic and less precise. These approaches have more concerns with respect to poor positioning of the implant- these incisions are very remote from the area where the breast implant pocket needs to be meticulously created, and less visualization through these remote incisions can create a less... more

Adam David Lowenstein, MD

Santa Barbara Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Scars after Breast Augmentation

All approaches tend to leave small well hidden scars. Most surgeons choose the approach they are most comfortable with or were train to perform in residency. There are six approaches for breast augmentation: 1. under the breast (inframammary crease) 2. periareolar (hiding the scar at the border of your areola) 3. transaxillary (armpit) 4. TUBA (belly button approach) 5. TABA (through a tummy tuck incision) 6. Breast Augmentation with your own fat. If properly performed the Tuba approach can... more

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William J. Hedden, MD

Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Peri-areolar incisions for breast enhancement surgery

Ultimately, if you want a scar that is hidden, I would recommend a peri-areolar incision. This would be the best place to place the incision because there is already a pigment change there and the tissue heals around the areola will fade very nicely. There is also less risks and complications going through this site because there is less chances of mal-positioning of the implants. However, it is your choice.