Retained Pigment from Breast Lift Scar?

Question

I had a breast lift almost 2 years ago but have "retained pigmentation" from areola in the vertical scar. What would revision of the scar entail and how much does the procedure run. Also how successful are revisions ?

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

What you are describing, residual areola pigmented skin ( usually at the top of the vertical incision of the breast lifting scar)  is not uncommonly seen after breast lifting done for patients with relatively large areola. As you mentioned, revisionary breast surgery is often successful in removing the residual pigmented skin. Of course, much will depend on how much pigment is left and the current skin elasticity around the area. Sometimes, the pigmented skin is best removed in stages ( more than one procedure);  If too much skin is removed in one session, the breast shape may be changed unfavorably.

	 You will find the cost will vary depending on surgeon, location, type of anesthesia used...

	 I hope this helps.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

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

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

Sometimes an operation is hard to say exactly where the areola stops. When the skin is been taken out to complete the mastopexy occasionally small amount of areola will persist. After healing is visible in most of the time can be excised with a simple operation.

Robert D. Wilcox, MD · Answer

Dear Ariel99,
	This condition of residual areola pigmentation in the vertical scar is more common when the areolae were especially large preoperatively. There is a point where the surgeon can only put so much tension on the closure before he risks violating the circulation resulting in skin loss or death. However, typically after six month’s time when things have relaxed and the swelling has gone, it’s an easy matter under local anesthesia to re-excise the majority or all of that retained pigmentation. What charges are involved vary from office to office. In our own case, I typically perform this at no additional charge to the patient.

	Best of luck to you.

Jourdan Gottlieb, MD · Answer

For patients with large areolas who have a vertical or anchor pattern lift, it is often not possible to safely remove all of the pigmented areolar skin, and it persists in the vertical closure line. The revision is quite simple after the skin has recovered from the original surgery and has stretched out enough to allow removal of the area in question.

	It is usually simple, done with local anesthesia. You would have to ask your surgeon for a quote--this is so variable from office to office.

	All the best.

Retained Pigment from Breast Lift Scar?

Answers (9)

Answer: This can easily be fixed

Answer: This can easily be fixed

Answer: Retained Pigment from Breast Lift Scar?

Answer: Retained Pigment from Breast Lift Scar?

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Retained Pigment from Breast Lift Scar?

Answers (9)

Answer: This can easily be fixed

Answer: This can easily be fixed

Answer: Retained Pigment from Breast Lift Scar?

Answer: Retained Pigment from Breast Lift Scar?

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Lift

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.