Reducing Scars After Breast Surgery

All types of breast surgery, whether it’s breast augmentation, reduction, or a lift, can be associated with the possibility of scarring. Thankfully, the visibility of breast surgery scars can be minimised, with the right techniques used by your surgeon and by following helpful preparation and recovery steps.

Apart from choosing an experienced breast surgeon who will aim to minimise scars, knowing how to minimise scars after breast surgery by following recovery instructions and tips can set you up for success. In this blog, we’ll outline some steps you can take to minimise breast surgery scars, but a consultation will be best for personalised advice.

Based on the Sunshine Coast, Dr Grant Fraser-Kirk is an experienced surgeon who can aim to plan your breast surgery with incision placements that help to conceal scarring. With thorough and comprehensive planning, including preparation and recovery instructions, he can also outline the steps you can take to further minimise scarring. He can carefully consider your personal needs and the details of your personalised surgery to offer the most helpful advice.

Read on to learn more about breast surgery scars, how they can appear and what you can do to help minimise their appearance.

How will breast surgery scars look after the procedure?

Everyone’s skin heals differently, which means that the appearance of scarring can greatly vary from person to person. Generally, scarring can initially appear more prominent straight after surgery but should fade over time.

Scarring is an inevitable part of any surgery, including breast surgery. Your body’s natural response to incisions is to heal by forming new tissue, which leads to scars. The look and extent of these scars depend on various factors that will be different for each patient, such as the type of surgery, incision placement, the surgical method, skin type, and your genetic tendency to scar.

For example, when it comes to incision placement, breast augmentation usually involves small incisions in hidden places, such as under the breast fold, around the areola, or in the armpit. These incision placements are chosen to help conceal the visibility of scars and can be used if they provide your surgeon with enough access to the right areas, allowing your surgeon to make the changes needed.

Breast reduction and breast lift surgeries, however, need larger incisions to remove excess skin and tissue, often resulting in more noticeable scars. Common scars from these surgeries include those around the nipple (periareolar), from the nipple down to the breast crease (vertical), and along the breast fold (inframammary). The size and visibility of these scars can vary.

Different types of scars can also form. Common types include hypertrophic scars, which are raised and red but stay within the boundaries of the original wound, and keloid scars, which are also raised but extend beyond the wound’s edges and can grow significantly over time. Another type of scarring includes atrophic scars, which appear as depressions in the skin, often resulting from loss of underlying fat or muscle. Essentially, each type of scar varies in appearance and can sometimes require different types of treatments.

A guide to reducing breast surgery scars after your procedure

A big part of reducing breast surgery scars begins with your surgeon’s experience and technique.

Choosing a highly qualified and experienced plastic surgeon is key. Specialist Plastic Surgeon and Reconstructive Surgeon Dr Fraser-Kirk can use refined techniques to help minimise the appearance of scarring after your procedure. He will also be able to provide you with advice on how to minimise scars by carefully preparing for your surgery and following wound care steps during recovery.

To give you a general idea of how you can minimise breast surgery scars before your consultation, here are our helpful tips:

• Keep your incisions cleanAfter your breast procedure, keeping the incisions clean and dry will help to prevent infection, which can delay wound healing and increase the visibility of scarring. You should always follow your own wound care instructions that Dr Fraser-Kirk will provide, but wound care may generally involve gently cleaning the area with mild soap and water, before applying specialised ointments or creams to prevent infection. You will likely be instructed to avoid excessive heat exposure, swimming pools and saunas while your incision heals, which will also help to support good hygiene and prevent infection.
• Moisturise your incision sitesOnce your incisions are fully healed, moisturising the incision sites can also help reduce scars. Many surgeons recommend silicone-based products, like silicone sheets or gels, which have been shown to reduce the thickness, colour, and texture of scars. Silicone creates a protective barrier over the scar, helping to keep it in moisture and even flattening scars, which can reduce their appearance.
• Wear a compression garment
  Pressure therapy can be another good way to minimise scarring. Wearing compression garments, as advised by your surgeon, can help to reduce swelling and support the healing tissue. Compression can also prevent the formation of hypertrophic scars.
• Protect your scar with SPFProtecting the healed incision sites from the sun is one of the most important steps to help prevent the darkening of scars. Over time and with excessive exposure, UV rays can darken scars and make them more noticeable. Applying sunscreen with high SPF to the scarred areas, even if they’re covered by clothing, can protect the healed scar tissue from UV damage.
• Gently massage your scarMassage therapy can also be helpful for scar management. Gently massaging the scar tissue once the incisions have fully healed can help break down dense collagen fibres and improve the skin’s elasticity, leading to a softer and less prominent scar. It’s important to follow your surgeon’s advice on when and how to start massaging the scars to avoid damaging the healing tissue.
• Try a suitable scar reduction treatmentSometimes, additional treatments may be needed to further reduce the appearance of scars. Depending on your needs, non-invasive options like laser therapy can be effective. Lasers can resurface the skin, reduce redness, and flatten raised scars by promoting collagen production. Other types of treatments can be suitable for other types of scarring, so we recommend seeking personalised advice if you would be interested in further scar treatment.

Dr Fraser-Kirk: Specialist Plastic Surgeon and Reconstructive Surgeon on the Sunshine Coast

Minimising the appearance of breast surgery scars begins with choosing a qualified and experienced surgeon to perform your chosen breast procedure.

As a Specialist Plastic Surgeon and Reconstructive Surgeon on the Sunshine Coast, Dr Fraser-Kirk offers a variety of breast procedures.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons (RACS) with Bachelor Degrees in Biomedical Science, Medicine and Surgery. After completing his degrees, he was selected for advanced specialist training in General Surgery for four years, before being admitted to the Australian and New Zealand Plastic Surgery Training Program for a further five years. With extensive training, Dr Fraser-Kirk became a qualified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, providing quality patient care.

To learn more about Dr Fraser-Kirk or to book your consultation, please get in touch with our team!