Explant with a Full Lift - Tampa, FL. SOOOO WORTH IT!!!

Holy moly, it's been whole year since my surgery. Sometimes it feels like yesterday and others it feels like eons ago. All in all, things are MUCH improved. This has become more of a scar update, since nothing has changed with the boobs themselves. They're still fabulous. :o)

As far as my scars, HUGE improvements with them to date! I've gone through 6 rounds of Kenalog injections (done at my dermatologist, who is also wonderful). I saw the most improvement after this last round, which was done a week ago. So these pics don't even show how much more they're going to improve once they settle down completely after this final round of injections. I did before/after comparisons in the pictures from when the scars looked their worst (before injections) and just now, after 6 rounds. Biggest improvement is that they don't hurt anymore!!!! If nothing else improved, that was all I wanted to accomplish. And I did. HOORAY!!! Secondly, they're all MUCH flatter and softer. The increased vascularity (above/below the scar itself) you see is from the injections. That WILL subside over time. So once that's gone, the scars will be even less noticeable. Considering where I started, I'm thrilled with how much they've improved. I rarely feel them pulling at all, and if I do, it's only when I'm in the middle of a full wheel pose in yoga class. And that's to be expected.

And yes, my vertical and areola scars still look amazing, so no update needed with those.

So for all of you ladies who don't scar well thanks to genetics or poor decisions during healing, there is hope. It takes time, so learning to be patient is something you're going to have to do. There isn't a quick fix with scars, no matter what path you take to improve them. But for me, I'm thrilled with what I've chosen to do. I'm still on the fence about the laser treatment to even out the skin tone of the scar to match my surrounding skin. I might still go for it, but I'm going to give my poor scars a break for a while. I've been treating them regularly for quite some time, so I'm ready for a break, and so are they. If I go that route, I'll be sure to post an update. I'm eager to see how much they continue to improve on their own.

That's all for now. It's been an amazing year back as my true self. It's a decision I haven't regretted for even a second.

Blessings!

Life is still great with small boobs! It keeps getting better every day. Especially with my scars. It seems to be impossible to get pictures that give an accurate showing of what they really look like now, but these are the best ones I could get. They look much better in person than I can capture on camera. It's been about 6 weeks since my 3rd round of kenalog injections. Those injections cause increased vascularity above and below the scar so that's part of the difficulty in getting good pictures. It takes a couple of months for my body to let that vascularity resolve but it does go away eventually. You can see the difference in the last pic. That side was always the best so I only got one round of injections so it's had plenty of time for the vascularity to go away.
All in all, my scars look and feel MUCH better. That's the best outcome I could ask for considering where I started with them. They're all flatter and softer and not anywhere near as painful as they used to be. I've been keeping them hydrated with rose hip seed oil when they're not taped and taped when I feel like taping them. I end up doing around 24 hours on and 24 hours off. They are the softest and flattest right after I take the tape off, which is to be expected. I'll probably do more injections, especially in the medial sections as they seem to be the most stubborn parts. I might still consider the laser treatments when I'm done with the injections but I need to get rid of the bulk first. I'm also massaging the heck out of them when they're not taped. I can still feel the collagen "breaking" in some parts. It's kinda fun.
But let's talk about bralettes! Those suckers are my new obsession. They are SOOO comfy and inexpensive compared to the kind of industrial strength bras I used to have to buy. It feels weird being able to buy small tops again. But I am loving every minute of it. Target and Aerie are where I got the 2 pictured. The grey one (Aerie) feels like pure awesomeness.
So that's pretty much it. I hope all of you have the same positive experience I've had with this entire process. Being all ME has proven to be so much better than expected. My confidence and self esteem are through the roof. I find myself topless around the house a heck of a lot more often than I ever used to. The hubby certainly isn't complaining.
Blessings!

I can't believe it's been 7 whole months. Kinda crazy to think about.
Everything continues to improve, especially because of the steroid injections. I posted a comparison between after one round of injections and after 2. I only posted 2 comparisons because I couldn't seem to get the angles/lighting right with other scar shots.

While it might not seem like HUGE improvements to you, I see and feel big changes. It's impossible to show on pics but the scars are continuing to soften and be less red. They're also getting flatter. The slowest improvement is the flattening. But I know that these injections are slow going with the improvements on the scar. Slow and steady wins the race, right? But the biggest improvement is in the pain relief which was my initial motivation. I wasn't able to sleep without a sports bra because it made my scars hurt. Now I can!!! I've reverted back to using silicone scar strips at night to keep slight pressure on them and I can sleep pain free. Rolling over from side to side used to hurt but not anymore! I can also go bra less during the day without pain. That alone has made the injections worth it in every way. I've got my third round of injections scheduled for next week.

I also bought some new scar "fading" serum (Body Merry Scar Gel). It's supposed to fade scars and I've been using it for about 3+ weeks. It says to use for 2 months before noticing any differences, so we'll see. If it doesn't fade the scar, no biggie, but I like how hydrated it keeps my scars and I like the ingredients. I wish it didn't leave a yellow residue on my skin, but it isn't a deal breaker. It's easier to wear under clothing than some of the other super hydrating balms I've used.

Other than that, everything else is the same. They feel great, they move and bounce, and overall look AMAZING! My other scars are still fabulous and barely noticeable. I've got ZERO regrets with it all and am loving the new real me.

Blessings!