How Long Does It Take the Scars to Heal After a Breast Lift? Can You Use Silicone Gel on It?

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 darkeningThe main role for silicone sheets is to keep the incisions hydrated during the remodelling phase of the scar maturation. This allows the underlying cells to work in a more optimized fashion. The brand is less important but compliance usually follows ease of use. Silicone usually has less skin irritation concerns with use compared to adhesives. They can also be re-used. Scars will take months to a year to mature, and may even continue to under go changes after that.

Once you have your stitches/sutures removed, and the incisions are healed, you should be able to use any kind of scar treatment you desire. It is generally recommended to start the silicone scar sheeting at around 3 weeks post-op. Just remember, you will always have a scar, as it is an incision. While everyone heals at a different rate, the scars should be completely flattened and faded at about one year, keeping in mind that after a few months they will look considerably better than before.