Bad Breast Reduction Scars - Cosmetic Tattoo Cover-up?

Plastic surgery scars require attention after surgery so that they remain cosmetically-appealing and barely noticeable. In our office, we use a protocol for scars that minimizes their activity in the 6-8 weeks after surgery. If you have late plastic surgery scars, you may also require laser and RF therapy to help reduce the longterm effects of the scarring. Keloids, hypertrophic scars, widened scars, red scars, and hyperpigmented scars all require scar modulation with topical creams followed by lasers and RF therapy. Topical skincare should be directed to a specific need, whether for pigmentation or hypertrophy and our office can guide you through the process to obtain the correct Plato’s Scar cream or Melarase cream for hypertrophy and discoloration. In terms of lasers, we would employ the vbeam laser for redness, Venus Viva RF, PRP microneedling, chemical peels, and Morpheus 8, fractional erbium, or fractional co2. All of these have their individual benefits. Most of all, we recommend you visit a solid plastic surgeon who understands surgical scar revision, laser therapy, and RF therapy for scars.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

I think the size of your breasts is good. The scars are somewhat hypertrophic and I would suggest another excision with steroids or 5 FU placed in the wound to try to avoid the scar complications that you have.

Thank you for the question and pictures.

Although your dissatisfaction with the surgery is understandable I hope you understand that,  despite your surgeon's best efforts,  unsatisfactory scarring can happen after this type of surgery. Hopefully, you are pleased with the overall change in size/contour of the breasts.

You may be better off with another attempt at scar revision surgery than tattoo camouflage.

Best wishes.

Scar problems can develop with almost any surgery but the causes are often multifactorial including genetic components, tension, healing issues, etc..  Sometimes revision of scars can be helpful and then treating them with silicone sheeting, massage, taping, etc..  Good luck.

From your photos, it appears that the scars are both wide and dark. You would probably benefit from re-excision of the scars followed by postoperative scar treatment with silicone gel sheeting and a skin bleaching agent like hydroquinone for 4 - 6 months or more. You should also be followed closely for a while to make sure that you are progressing appropriately

Hi JayJay11 in Maryland,

I'm obviously sorry that things did not turn out exactly the way you, and I'm sure the surgeon, would have wanted.  Surgery is inherently somewhat predictable and despite the best of intentions, planning and execution (ie, the surgery), things do not always turn out perfectly.

I understand what you're unhappy about.  Fortunately, though, you seem to have a very nice shape now; I don't know what you looked like before.  And I"m also sorry that you already had a scar revision...

However, I would advise another scar revision if you're willing, followed by silicone sheeting (can't hurt, may help), steroid injections as indicated and, though somewhat unlikely, tattoo.  It is easier to make something darker than lighter; ie, you can cover up lighter irregularities of pigmentation more easily than trying to cover dark with light.  There are some laser treatments (not actually laser; more accurately "light" treatments) that can help lighten color.

In short, there are no simple answers to what you want, but a well-planned team effort may help provide an improvement to what you look like at this point.

I hope that this helps, and good luck,

Dr. E