Nipple scars after breast lift won't go away even after steroid shot. (Photos)

Dear VioletX,based on your photos and description, it looks like you might bennefit from scar revision. We specialize in minimal scars. Its starts with a peri-areolar incision that hides the scar at the border of the areola. Next, I close my incisions in 5 layers and take stitches out week one and week two.  I don't recommend absorbable sutures because they cause inflammation that worsens scars. Then we tape your incisions once a week for 6 weeks. Lastly we start you on a 3 month topical scar management protocol with a scar gel thats FDA approved.
Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 


Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery  

Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery

based on your pictures looks like can benefit from a scar revision, you can have this done under local at the office, consult with your PS.

Thank you for this important question and also the pictures you provided.  If you were my patient and after a course of steroid injections failed, the next step would be the injection of 5Fu.  5Fu is an anti cancer drug, but in small doses when injected directly into a lesion (scar), has been very successful in reducing, and sometimes eliminating, thickened unattractive scars.  If this fails, my next, more aggressive intervention would be scar excision followed by ortho voltage radiation normally found in large hospitals in their department of interventional radiology.I believe discussing options for scar improvement with your personal plastic surgeon would be the next appropriate step.

Your scars are hypertrophic ( very thick), and I think will require revision and then aggressive scar management. Check back with your surgeon for this. This can sometimes be done as an office procedure.Good luck.