I Dislike the Scarring from Breast Lifts - What Are my Choices? (photo)

It's quite common to want not only fuller breasts positioned higher on the chest wall but also as minimal or undetectable a scar as possible. Incision location and scarring is something every breast lift with aug patient should discuss in detail with their board certified plastic surgeon.

When doing a breast lift, surgeons want to remove as much skin as necessary to tighten up the breast tissue and lift it on the chest wall. The skill of the surgeon comes in determining how much skin to take, leaving the least amount of scarring. When we are adding an implant, we are filling up the breast skin envelope, so less skin should be taken out than for just a lift.

There are basically three techniques with a difference in the type of scar left by each. The Vertical scar (Lollipop scar or Lassus technique), the Bennelli scar (Periareolar scar, donut scar), and the Wise pattern scar (Anchor scar, Inverted T scar).

I use the Bennelli scar on nearly all of my breast lift with implant patients. The scar circles the nipple areolar complex, but I use speical sutures to avoid pleating in the nipple. Traditional sutures with this technique can cause creasing of the skin, much like small pleats in a skirt. Postoperatively the scars around the nipple fade well so that a year later you can hardly see them.

Be sure to discuss all of your specific case options with your surgeon and review before and after photos during consult to ensure you and your surgeon are on the same preop page.

In my practice, the vast majority of patients would rather have the anchor type scar of a breast lift than have sagging breasts.  Most incisions heal beautifully by 1 or 1.5 years where the scars are difficult to see.  It really just depends on the overall look you wish to achieve.  An implant alone will just fill out deflated breasts but they will not get you a lift