The Truths About Breast Implant Scars
If you hear a surgeon saying that they offer “scar-free” breast augmentation, they’re being quite conservative. The truth: you can’t permanently get rid of a scar.
Once your surgeon makes an incision in your skin, your body will immediately try to heal the “wound” by creating scar tissue. While all scars are permanent, a gifted cosmetic surgeon will create incisions that, in most cases, become nearly invisible after just a few months.
Types of Incision
A cosmetic surgeon will use different types of incisions based on their own experiences and given skill level. The three most common types of incision are in the underarm area (transaxillary), around the areola (periareolar), and around the natural folds of the breast (inframammary). Although Dr. Sessa will discuss your options with you, his personal preference is to use the inframammary incision because of the results he achieves.
Inframammary
An incision of this type focuses on concealing your scar tissue under the natural curves of your bustline. The only way anyone will be able to see this scar is if you show others where it is by lifting your breasts upwards.
This type of incision is also an ideal surgical solution for both silicone and saline implants. An intramammary scar is typically no longer than three centimeters in length (over 1-inch).
The Nature Of Scarring
When you first see a post-operative scar, you will probably find yourself worrying that the scar is going to be visible from a mile away, even when it heals. All new scar tissue looks 10 times worse than it will when it heals – the puckering and redness will fade in the coming weeks.
After a few weeks your scars will fade dramatically, and after a few months, your scars will be almost indistinguishable from the surrounding breast tissue. How well your scars heal will have a lot to do with self-care, so you should follow your surgeon’s instructions on this.
Learn more about the nature of your scars from Cohen Winters.
Healing Process
The human body does a wonderful job at healing itself given the chance, but not everyone has the patience to wait for the body to make those scars fade into the background. There are a number of products you can use to assist in the healing process, some of which can also shorten the amount of time it takes your scars to heal.
Examples of products you can use to reduce scarring include Vitamin A and Vitamin E creams, Rose Hip oil, and Emu oil. Lavender oil can help with promoting cell regeneration, while Tea Tree oil is beneficial in reducing swelling and itching. Many of the products that help with stretch marks are also useful in speeding up the healing process after breast augmentation surgery while reducing the amount of scarring you experience. Want to see exactly how to use creams? Visit Lady Care Health.
For more conventional treatments, silicone sheeting and gel treatments are also popular choices. Silicone sheeting usually comes in pre-cut, self-adhesive shapes and sizes for breast augmentation patients and must be worn for at least ten hours each day. Silicone gel treatments such as Kelocote have also shown promise in their ability to reduce the size of a scar, or to lighten darker scars. Neosporin is also a sensible choice for helping with the healing process.
Our Approach
At Sarasota Surgical Arts we take a holistic approach to treating patients after their surgery. We never rely on just one method for treating patient scarring, because we understand that everyone is different, so we tailor the post-operative healing plan for each of our patients.
If you have any questions or concerns about what types of incisions are used, or what level of scarring to expect during breast augmentation surgery, why not call one of the leading cosmetic surgery clinics in Sarasota?
