Undesirable extra skin - Is there anything that can be done to remove or minimise this without creating a larger scar? (photos)

Hi helpful863749,
The skin on the lower inner part of both the right breast appears loose, by comparison to the rest of the skin over both breasts which appears tight. It appears that additional skin could have been removed in the lower inner aspect of both breasts. I do see that there is a scar on the lower inner aspect of both breasts, and a small revision surgery would likely lengthen the scar toward the midline where the breast me, while allowing that excess skin to be re-excised. This would produce a shape more in line with the rest of the breast.
I do not envision this will get substantially better over time, but there is also no harm in waiting. To be clear, since it was her specific question, I believe that the scar would be slightly longer but not necessarily larger in order to perform the revision.
Hope this helps.
Best,Christopher Pannucci MDBoard Certified Plastic SurgeonPlastic Surgery NorthwestSpokane, Washington

It is not uncommon to have a slight excess of skin at the edges of the scars underneath the breast in a breast reduction. It is always a balance between keeping the scar length as short as possible but also removing skin excess, so you don't get this kind of look longer term. Generally plastic surgeons like to give the breasts a good 12 months to "settle in" before doing a minor scar revision to remove that skin excess. This is because sometimes the skin excess becomes less noticeable with time. If you do require a small adjustment of this skin around one year post surgery, unfortunately, the only way to remove it is to excise it. This will put scar in at the site where the excess skin currently is but the good news is that for the majority of women scars post breast reduction fade, becoming flat and pale, so that the scars in that site will be much less noticeable than the excess skin is now.

Thanks for your question! Unfortunately, the most logical way to reduce that extra skin/volume is by lengthening the scar. That being said you appear to scar well, so hopefully with the right scar care, it can be a fine line in a year or two. Good luck!

You will likely have some improvement over time, but it is probably that there will still be some excess skin. This can be revised by removing the excess tissue, but this will likely extend the scars further toward the center of your chest.

You will probably need a touch up procedure to remove the redundant skin above your medial breast crease. To achieve optimal contour, your surgeon will probably need to lengthen medial scar 1-5-2 cm. But that will give them the opportunity to reposition the scar in your breast crease where it will be less visible. Thank you for your question.

Hi. That would likely be amenable to improving it by cutting out that extra skin. Hard to tell where your scar ends and it would typically lengthen the scar some but would likely be worth it for the improvement of the overall appearance. I recommend bringing up these concerns with your surgeon to decide on a plan together. Second opinions are always reasonable if needed.
Good luck and take care, Dr. Howell

Dear Helpful863749,
I understand your concern. However, without a proper assessment, it would be difficult to determine what went wrong. It is best that you visit your plastic surgeon for further assessment or ask for a second opinion. Only after a thorough examination, you can get proper recommendations and advice.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Hello and thank you for posting! Yes there is. One option would be a careful scar revision of that portion of your horizontal scar without increasing it too much. In any case the scar will be more or less where the excess skin is. You would trade one for the other, but I feel the scar would be more manejable and more aesthetic as well.
Another option would be a breast lift revision with a small reduction of skin only…. basically tightening the skin envelope around the center scar. This will help lift the breast and tighten the lower pole by pulling the excess skin to the center of the breasts, removing some skin and therefore reducing the amount of excess skin between your breasts. Plus, this technique would not extend your scars! This would be my preferred method due to the smaller scars and tighter breasts but it does requiere a larger procedure with a bit more downtime.

Best of luck,
Dr. Miguel Mota

Hello there, it is possible to remove that extra skin, but your scar will be extended by a couple of centimeters. The scar will mainly be hidden underneath your breast fold unlike your current scar which is visible on both breasts. Your procedure could be done under local anesthesia by some plastic surgeons. Good luck!

Either the excess can be excised, or fat can be added to fill in volume. Another option is using minimally invasive, small incision, radiofrequency treatments like Renuvion or ThermiTight to tighten the skin.