When is best to start scar treatment after a Brazilian Butt Lift?

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

No one gives you a clear time line because there is not an exact answer. I have my patients start scar treatment after their surgical glue comes off. It is most helpful to ask your surgeon what their protocol is.

As an author of Scars and Scar Revision in Reoperative Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, I am well versed in the potential treatment options. One treatment (silicone sheets) may be helpful for one patient while another treatment (mederma) may help another patient. No particular scar treatment is better than another. The scars from liposuction will continue to fade in most cases for at least one year. I advise that scars not be exposed to sunlight for the first year due to risk for hyperpigmentation. If the scars are elevated or irritated or there is exuberant scar tissue, injections of several items may be helpful. Scar revision surgery can lessen the scar. Other alternatives such as Intensed Pulsed Light (IPL) lasers (Fractora, Lumecca) may be beneficial. Laser may be reasonable after the initial phase of scar healing is complete at the 6-week mark in an uncomplicated case. However, I usually recommend waiting longer, because time will usually be the best help, particularly in a good scar former.

Your statement comes as a little surprise? A scar management is important part of post-operatrive care and instructions. We usually encourage patient to start scar management with silicone based remedies (gels, creams, tapes) as soon as sutures are removed, which is in average 10 days or so. It should continue for months in (6-12) in order to see full benefits. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Dear MissDespe,
scar prevention begins in the OR during the surgery when I meticulously close wounds in multiple layers in order to reduce tension and reduce scars width. I tape my incisions during the early postoperative period to reduce micromotions of the tissues so the incision can heal earlier. I also use compression garments and later Biocorneum gel.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Understand none of the boarded plastic surgeons responders here on Real Self knows your exact case! The general recommendations are local wound care for 2 weeks with cleansers like peroxide followed with antibiotic ointment once or twice a day. Ok to shower immediately. After 2 weeks or if incisions not fully healed then wait 3 weeks, start silicone sheeting for scars. If incisions are slowly healing then I recommend silvadene three times a day until healed. As for drains, I remove them only if in 24 hours there was under 25 cc's of drainage. Hope this helps but it is obvious you used a clinic surgery.

Miss Despe,
This question does not have a common answer. A safe bet is to let the incisions heal completely (scab over , then the scab falls off and the skin is sealed), then start wound therapy. I close all of my liposuction incisions with a single internal suture and a single external suture-removed on day 5-7. I suggest that patients use silicone tape (3M Silicone tape) or a liquid product (Scar Guard or Mederma) starting as soon as the skin is completely sealed.
Every physician has their own scar treatment protocols so do not look for a common therapy.
Best wishes.
Dr. Taranow

Most patients heal normally and those who do do not need to manage their scars.

Doing so makes no difference.

Patients who are prone to abnormal scarring should consider intervene especially those who form hypertrophic or keloid type Scars.


And patience with a known history of hypertrophic scar information or a history of keloids silicone sheeting it should be gun starting about six weeks after the procedure what does scars are formed and the incisions are well healed without any scabs or evidence of open wounds.

The inflammatory face that causes extra scar tissue to form usually happens many months after surgery so there’s typically no hurry to start too soon.

Patients should take intermittent pictures of what the scars look like and continue to use silicone sheeting and take monthly pictures for a comparison to see if the scars are improving, getting worse or developing hypertrophy.

In cases of severe hypertrophy or truculent formation steroid injections should be done but that should only be done in extreme cases because injecting steroids when scars are not hypertrophic can thin out the scars making them wide.

It’s important that patients do not ever scratch or irritate the scars during the first year of healing.

Scars typically improve on their own but this process can take 12 to 18 months.

If there’s no evidence of hypertrophic scarring then there is no need to intervene.

The best treatment is continuous use of silicone sheeting in the presence of hypertrophic scar information with steroid injections reserved for only the most extreme.

Hyper pigmented scars are very different and do not respond to silicon sheeting.

If the issue it’s only hyperpigmentation then the best option is to simply give the scar time to mature. Again maturation can take up to 18 months.

There are those who may suggest bleaching creams or laser treatments for hyper pigmented scars. Personally I think this should be done consciously and on an individual basis.

For the great majority of patients not scratching at their scars if they itch and giving their bodies 12 to 18 months for the maturation process of scars is sufficient to form the least visible scar possible.

There are no absolute standards so expect each plastic surgeon to have their own view on this. It also depends to some degree on each individual patient.



Best,

Mats Hagstrom, MD