Can tightening skin laser help flatten chest and puffy nipples after gynecomastia surgery?

Question

I am almost 10 months after surgery ( excision of very small gland and liposuction ). My doctor said there is still a little bit of connective tissue which causes the puffiness. He suggested to have a laser treatment to tighten the skin so it can help reduce or soften the connective tissue or scar tissue. What do you think about it? He did a treatment now for lasted only for 1 minute and a half but can a laser treatment help in this matter? Thank you very much

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS · Answer

BRUISING AND SWELLING: Bruising and swelling are normal and usually increase slightly after the removal of any tape or foam. The bruising will decrease over 3-4 weeks, but may last as long as 6 weeks. The majority of the swelling will be gone within the first 3-4 weeks. However, it may take 6-9 weeks to disappear completely. The compression garment helps reduce the swelling, and the longer it is worn, the more quickly you will heal.NUMBNESS: It is normal to experience numbness around the areola and chest. As your body heals, you may notice random bursts of pain in your chest. This is usually a sign that the numbness is subsiding.LUMPINESS: As you heal, the area may feel “lumpy” and irregular. This, too, decreases with time, and massaging these areas will help soften the scar tissue.What will the scars look like? Following surgery, your incisions will go through a maturation process. For the first few months they will be red and possibly raised and/or firm. As the scar matures, after 6-12 months, it becomes soft, pale, flat, and much less noticeable. You may experience numbness, tingling, burning, “crawling”, or other peculiar sensations around the surgical area. This is a result of the healing of tiny fibers which are trapped in the incision site. These symptoms will disappear. Some people are prone to keloids, which is an abnormal scar that becomes prominent. If you or a blood relative has a tendency to keloid formation, please inform the doctor.ACTIVITIES: If your work keeps you sedentary, you may return whenever you feel up to it. If your work is strenuous, wait until your work activity does not cause pain. Wait at least 4 weeks to begin aerobic exercise.As with all operations, pain and discomfort varies greatly from patient to patient. Generally, one should expect that pain medication will be required for the first several days. Continuing discomfort can last varying amounts of time. The best thing to do if you experience questions or concerns during the healing process is to visit your surgeon for a follow-up to make sure that all is progressing as it should.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Personally, I would not  expected too much of  a change to occur with laser treatment.  Significant "puffiness" will likely require further removal of tissue. Best wishes.

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your question.  Unfortunately without a series of photographs it is difficult to offer definite advice but I do not think that a skin tightening procedure will help your symptoms.  Puffiness of tissues is related to residual glandular tissue beneath the nipple and areola which should be surgically removed if problematic.  Understand that there is a tradeoff between remaining gland and the risk for nipple tethering.  Hope this helps.

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

It is very frequent that patients have residual bulkiness of breast tissue underneath areolas after gynecomastia reduction surgery. The most frequent and efficient approach is to reduce bulk by means of surgery; using same peri-areolar scar surgeon can shave residual gland to a desired volume. This is much more precise and predictable than procedure that relies on skin tightening. Good luck.

Sean Doherty, MD, FACS · Answer

Honestly, without photos or seeing you in person, hard to say. But if you trust your surgeon, why not give it a try? If it helps, great. If not, you are probably looking at some sort of revision down the road. Hope this helps.

Can tightening skin laser help flatten chest and puffy nipples after gynecomastia surgery?

Answers (7)

Answer: Residual tissue after gynecomastia

Answer: Residual tissue after gynecomastia

Answer: Will laser help with puffy nipples?

Answer: Will laser help with puffy nipples?

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Everything you need to know about Gynecomastia Surgery

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Can tightening skin laser help flatten chest and puffy nipples after gynecomastia surgery?

Answers (7)

Answer: Residual tissue after gynecomastia

Answer: Residual tissue after gynecomastia

Answer: Will laser help with puffy nipples?

Answer: Will laser help with puffy nipples?

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Gynecomastia Surgery

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