How Long Do I Have to Keep Taping my Breast Reduction Scars to Reduce Scarring?

  I do not have patients tape the scars of the breast reduction, but this is not unreasonable.  Ask your plastic surgeon what protocol should be followed.  This is very individual, and each plastic surgeon has his or her own ideas.

Dubai Plastic SurgeryBreast reduction scars need meticulous attention to detail and I have developed a post surgical scar protocol to improve longterm scarring; using laser and topicals. 

I recommend patients tape their scars with micropore for three months. My rationale for this is that a cell type responsible for excessive scar deposition - the myofibroblast - is stimulated to do so by being stretched. So by applying one inch of tape along the length of the scar, when you move and stretch and your skin is pulled, that one inch of skin moves as a single unit without stretch being exerted across the scar (I tell my patients its like a bit of road with a speed camera on it - whatever else is happening along the rest of the road, there is no speeding happening on that little bit of road!). Three months is a bit arbitrary, but by 3 months myofibroblasts have left the wound site under usual circumstances.
If patient's can't tolerate the tape (i.e. the skin is hypersensitive and becomes itchy or red) then I discontinue early. It is only in those cases that I ever need to do anything else for my scars (silicone, steroid or any other concoction) because with taping they are simply thin and flat straight away - prevention rather than cure. 

An older wise professor of mine liked to have patients use micropore or paper tape on incision for 6-8 weeks. I do not know of any scientific evidence to support this technique, but I admit to recommending it as well because I think jsut like silicone sheets I believe the contact and the tape itself may help with tension on the wounds. 

I do not have my patients tape breast reduction scars unless there is a need to do so and have excellent results. Scarring is dependent on factors including your body's propensity to heal and the surgical closure. I spend a lot of time on fine suture closure in the OR which is the best method for achieving good results.