What Options do I have for Covering Up Breast Lift Scars?

Hello!  Thank you for the question!  It is common for scars to fully mature for up to a year.  In the meantime, there are a few things that may help to ameliorate your incision/scar.  The most proven (as well as cheapest) modality is simple scar massage.  Applying pressure and massaging the well-healed scar has been shown to improve the appearance as it breaks up the scar tissue, hopefully producing the finest scar as possible.  Other things that have been shown to add some benefit, albeit controversial, are silicone sheets, hydration, and topical steroids.  In addition, avoidance of direct sunlight to the incision will significantly help the appearance as they tend to discolor with UV light during the healing process.  If unsightly scars are still present after approximately a year's time, other things that your surgeon may consider are intralesional steroid injections, laser, or just surgical revision of the scar itself.Hope that this helps!  Best wishes!

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

Yes there are many types of makeup to camouflage your scar, and I would only recommend tattooing for the scar around the areola and not the vertical skin which changes slightly depending on the season. Most importantly, is making your scar fade on its own. Best Scar Management is important to minimize or completely hide from view, the telltale signs of your surgery—namely, scars. Both you and your surgeon want you to have the most minimal scarring possible. There are many possible causes for scars that are enlarged or not healing well. Unsightly scars are most commonly due to genetics, underlying medical conditions, or improper scar/wound care. The last part is very important and patients can make a noticeable difference in their scars’ appearance by following best scar management practices. Here are some simple tips - see below link.

There are scar therapies that can be used throughout the healing process.  Tattoo or resurfacing may be reasonable after healing is complete.Select a plastic surgeon who performs hundreds of breast lifts each year, has great reviews, and has great before and after
pictures.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

There a many options for scar minimization depending on the problem.  A white scar can be tattooed by an aesthetician that performs permanent make-up.  Pink scars can benefit from laser.  Scars will generally improve over 9 months to a year so allow plenty of time to pass before pursuing treatment.