Are these dark reddish scars post breast implants ever going to go away? What can I do? 1 1/2 years po. (photos)

Question

I had breast implants put in a year and a bit ago. I made the mistake, I think, of going to Miami in the 4th month or so after the surgery. I love my breasts but now the scars are quite red. Maybe they aren’t even that noticeable but they are to me. What can I do now to reduce or just completely remove the scarring? Are there other procedures you could recommend? Will it stay like this my whole life or will it reduce even a bit?

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

William S. Umansky, MD · Answer

It appears you have somewhat darkened and widened scars. This is more likely a result of your skin type than anything else. There may be some room for improvement with the help of a bleaching cream and/or laser treatments. Occasionally, scar revision along with careful post op scar care may provide an improved result as well. I recommend visiting your surgeon in-person to discuss your best treatment options. Best of luck.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear maimigirl2017,it can take a year for a scar to fully heal. In most cases it becomes less visible and fades a bit. There are scar treatment methods which can also help (silicone scar gel, laser treatment, scar revision, etc.). I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery  
Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery

Tim Sayed, MD, MBA, FACS · Answer

At 1.5 years out there may not be much natural fading to occur as scars are fairly mature at this juncture, but often laser treatment (Fraxel, ProFractional, Erbium:YAG, pulsed-dye) can help blend and fade things, especially if the main issue is brown or red pigmentation. Complete removal of scarring is not promised by any reputable physician but improvement to lighten the discoloration is possible. Silicone gel, vitamin E and steroid injections can be considered but I believe those modalities are far more useful to reduce the thickness of scars than the color. Hydroquinone creams may help moderately but their value is debatable.

Robert H. Hunsaker, MD · Answer

There are a number of options you can progressively work through to try to reduce the firmness, redness and elevation of the scars. Topical silicone sheeting or liquid(Scar Guard) is typically my first step. If no improvement I go to steroid (Kenalog) injections. After that laser.I would say it is worth it to try to improve these.

Are these dark reddish scars post breast implants ever going to go away? What can I do? 1 1/2 years po. (photos)

Answers (5)

Answer: Will dark scars after #breastaugmentation fade?

Answer: Will dark scars after #breastaugmentation fade?

Answer: Scars

Answer: Scars

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Implants

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

Are these dark reddish scars post breast implants ever going to go away? What can I do? 1 1/2 years po. (photos)

Answers (5)

Answer: Will dark scars after #breastaugmentation fade?

Answer: Will dark scars after #breastaugmentation fade?

Answer: Scars

Answer: Scars

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Implants

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