How Can I Get Rid of Bad Scars from Breast Augmentation?

unfortunately every surgery to the breasts will leave  scars. The length and position should be discussed during consultation and consented for. The quality of scar cannot be predicted. This will depend on suturing technique ( intradermal stitches better than staples, external stitches or glue), skin type ( darker skin have higher risk of keloid scars) , and healing (any breakdown or infection will affect final scar)

Thanks for your question!
Many treatments are available to help reduce the scarring. Silicone sheeting, microneedling, laser therapy, etc. Reach out to a professional for a consultation. Best wishes!

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with breast augmentation scars. Intense pulse light (IPL) can be used to help lighten the color of the scar. The Erbium or CO2 laser can be used to soften the firmness of the scar. If the scar is old, sometimes surgical excision of the scar is necessary. The scar can be cut out and resutured. Many times when a scar revision is done and there is no inflammation and swelling like the first time that the implants were put in, then the scar will heal more flat, smooth and a thin line. I would recommend seeking an in-person exam by a board-certified plastic surgeon. 

It sounds as though your relationship with your doctor was suboptimal and that may be causing you to be extra critical of scars that are actually normal. Perhaps seeing another doctor for an evaluation would be wise and could put your mind at ease about your own situation.It is difficult to make any conclusions without pictures of your breast. If your wound remains red or red raised, lumpy or irritated, and your physician considers them hypertrophic scars, there are interventions, which he can do to help you :- correction with laser - Fractional Erbium Laser treatment is very effective at smoothing and flattening raised lumpy incision sites. Typically 4-5 treatments 6 weeks apart are enough.- Intense pulsed light or IPL is very effective at reducing the redness in wounds. Usually 3-4 treatments 6 weeks apart are required. - Chemical peels, steroid injections, and silicone occlusion are also very helpful.You can consider surgical scar revision, if these treatments do not work.I hope this will help ..

Thank you for your question.  Breast incisions can be managed using a multimodal approach:1) Scar massage - starting as soon as the surgical dressings come off and the incisions are sealed2) Silicone sheets or scar gels for about six months to year3) Embrace - a tension reducing dressing for the first 2 months4) Fractionated lasers to help blend the scar into the background - done as a series, starting about 4 weeks after surgery and repeated every four weeks for six months.5) Sunscreen to prevent the scars from darkening

You may or may not need a #scarRevision or some of the treatment options like laser listed below: 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.Scar Management tips:Minimize tension on the scar. Steri-Strips and/or surgical tape are often placed in non-hair bearing areas at the time of surgery to minimize tension and keep pressure over the scar. This minimizes the stress that can pull the scar apart (dehiscence) creating a wound and delaying healing time, and can make the scar wider, or more “ropy”. In the first few weeks after surgery, I recommend the use of Embrace Scar Therapy which is an adherent silicone sheeting pre-stretched when applied so as to offload tension on the scar.Keep your incision site/scar clean to prevent infection. Follow your surgeon’s wound care instructions to the letter with out modification. Never apply different products then recommended without first discussing them with your surgeon. This is especially important during the first few weeks. If there are any signs of infection, contact your surgeon’s office right away and/or see your doctor or his nurse immediately. Typical signs of infection may include redness outside the immediate incision site, asymmetric swelling, and drainage, of pus, fever, chills, and “feeling sick”.Protect your scars from the sun. Staying out of the sun is the best advice. Minimal exposure to sunlight is prevents hyperpigmentation (permanently turning brown) and other problems that can make the scar more noticeable. Sunscreen, at least 30 SPF and an overlying make camouflage make up additionally protects the scar from the suns harmful rays. This advice is especially important the first year following your surgery.Use specific scar maturation products recommended by your surgeon. Patients seem to have their own opinions on this touting everything from Pure Vit E, Coco butter, to Aloe Vera, etc but most have minimal benefit other than keeping the scar hydrated. Although hydration is important there are better, scientifically studied products with greater efficacy. Most of the scientific articles written about this subject indicate that topical silicone gel or silicone sheets work the best. The best product available in my opinion is the Embrace Scar Therapy System by Neodyne BioSciences, Inc. available in many surgeons’ offices. Essentially this is an adherent silicone sheeting pre-stretched when applied so as to offload tension on the scar. For areas that are not applicable for this product (e.g. smaller areas or on the face), I prefer BioCorneum or Kelo-Cote products There are a lot of products to choose from, but silicone should be one of the key ingredients. Although Mederma, an onion extract derivative active ingredient rather than mainly silicone based may help, primarily silicone based products are better and many also contain other ingredients that may be synergistic (hydrocortisone or other steroid, Vitamin E, Sunscreen, etc).. If the reader has problems obtaining these they can call my office. Patient compliance is also critical – use often and according to directions or it will not work optimally. NEVER apply products without first discussing them with your surgeon.Monitor to make sure your scar is progressing optimally. Keep your scheduled follow-up appointments with your surgeon to verify that your scars are maturing as expected. Occasionally if indicated you may need a topical steroid preparation or even a series of injections (5-FU and/or Steroids) or laser treatments to treat or prevent scar hypertrophy or keloid formation (red raised scars), or other topical medicines to treat post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (brown scars) with prescription creams and possible laser treatments.

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.  It appears as if you had a breast lift at the same time?  Depending on the time from the procedure, some of these modalities or laser therapy may help.  However, scar revision may certainly be entertained, which could be performed at the same time as any revisionary procedure, if you are unhappy with the result.Hope that this helps!   Best wishes!

         It’s important to
realize that wound healing is a dynamic process and that you may not see your
final result for at least a year following surgery. We frequently see wounds
that are unattractive in the initial phases of wound healing, but ultimately
look good with the passage of time.

         It’s also important
to understand that there’s no way to perform surgery without an incision and
this means scarring. Plastic surgeons can hide or minimize scars, but no one
can actually remove them. Scarring is dependent upon multiple factors. The
patients wound healing biology is just as important as the surgeon’s technical
skill. This means that scarring doesn’t necessarily mean bad surgery, but may
be related to the patients wound healing characteristics.

         In the early
post-operative period, massage, topical agents and sun avoidance can all be
utilized to minimize scarring. Occasionally, treatment with lasers may also be
helpful. If scarring persists for longer than a year, surgical revision may be
necessary.

         It’s important to
have an honest discussion with your surgeon about scarring. In some cases,
where trust is an issue, a second opinion may be helpful.

I use a combination of scar excision, IIT, and ablative or non-ablative laser to retexturize a breast scar.  This should be performed simultaneously with application of topical Melarase cream. Scar gels may also help your scar. I would begin with twice daily application of Plato's Scar Serum. Dr. Karamanoukian 

If you are in the immediate post op period then massage and/or different emollients can be helpful.  If it has been later than a year then surgical excision and revision of the scar has proven to be the best and longest lasting.