Will I Have Breast Lift Scars After 12 Months?
Once you've seen what breast lift surgery can do for a woman's figure, it's easy to understand that the resulting scars are rather less important.
Still, many patients are concerned about having raised or darkened lines on their breasts as a result of surgery, and this is understandable. Most notably, many patients want to know what they can expect as time goes on after their breast lift procedure.
“Will I have breast lift scars after 12 months?” is a common question in this regard.
The short answer is: Yes. All surgeries that require incisions such as a lift or an augmentation with breast implants result in scarring. After 12 months, scars will still be there. And, really, they'll always be there. But they will fade with time.
For most patients, the best way to reduce the appearance of scars after a breast lift is simply to follow your aftercare instructions diligently during recovery. Unfortunately, those who do not do this often end up with the most significant scars.
Now, let's take a look at some details regarding what you can expect from your scarring around one year after your breast lift.
What to Expect: Breast Lift Scars After 12 Months
Before discussing scarring at 12 months, it's important to note that some breast lift patients don't achieve their full results from surgery until the 12-month mark. Most patients seek out a lift due to breast sagging and they are anxious to see their results. While there are incredible initial results, it can take some time for the full results of breast lifts to become evident. It can sometimes take this long for the body to fully expel all retained fluid and completely get rid of inflammation (swelling). Naturally, you will already have seen the benefits of your surgery long before the 12 month mark. But breast lift recovery time may not be achieved until a year after surgery.
At this point, you will naturally also have scars. However, as stated above, most breast lift scars won't be as noticeable at the 12-month mark as they were just a few weeks after your surgery when they were bright red or pink.
Most patients should have fairly flat and faded scars by 12 months post-surgery. The color is usually a muted, faded light pink or brown hue. At the same time, the extent to which your scars will fade really depends on multiple factors.
First, your skin elasticity, your skin pigmentation, and the overall quality of your skin will impact how you scar. Some people simply scar more easily than others. Though this isn't always the case, frequently, patients who have darker skin end up with more obvious scars. Those who smoke also tend to scar more noticeably.
In the end, most of what is going to impact what your scars look like after the 12-month mark is how well you cared for your breast lift incisions while you were in recovery. Some patients report that scar gels or other medications help during their healing. It however important to follow your surgeon's instructions regarding scar gels or other medications. Your surgeon will give you a packet, which includes all of the instructions he or she wants you to follow while you are at home and healing. This is critical information.
Steps to Reduce the Appearance of Scars After Breast Lift Surgery
Your aftercare instructions will include directives such as:
- Avoiding sun exposure. It is important to not expose your scars to the sun (or tanning beds)
- Abstain from smoking
- Do not lift anything heavy (including children if you have them)
- Do not partake in vigorous physical activities (like running, cycling, sports, etc.)
- Wear your compression garments and supportive clothing exactly as directed
- Sleep on your back right after surgery, and continue sleeping as directed
- Avoid pushing yourself up with your arms or stretching and reaching with your arms
- Do not strain your upper body in any way
Strain and tension are the leading causes of exacerbated scarring after a breast lift. If a patient strains to reach for something, which puts stress on her wounds (incision sites), for example, this may cause them to stretch or even dehisce (split or burst open).
Dehiscence is an emergency situation and will require immediate attention to have the incision closed up again. Unfortunately, this will likely result in worsened scarring once the wound has healed, which is again, why it's critical to avoid strain during your recovery.
Breast Lift Scars After 6 Months
Breast augmentation scars after 6 months tend to have a muted brown or light pink hue. They may also be slightly raised with some light swelling still surrounding the area. Whatever the breast surgery, whether it is a lift, a reduction or a breast augmentation, the scars will see a similar healing process.
Questions and Answers
Here are some breast lift questions and answers:
Do Breast Lift Scars Go Away Eventually?
Breast lift scars never permanently disappear. However, they will lighten and flatten. Immediately after surgery, your scar tissue will have a brighter appearance and be thinner and more raised. Eventually, they should fade to a light shade that is slightly darker than your own skin — a bit pink or brown. Then, after that, the scar tissue may take on a whitish appearance.
Most patients notice a marked difference in their breast lift scars after one year . By the two- or three-year mark, scars will likely have faded as much as they ever will.
What Do Healed Scars Look Like?
If scars have been well taken care of, they will have a faded, flat, and whitish appearance once they are completely healed.
What Are Breast Lift Keloid Scars?
Keloid scarring is an undesirable outcome of a breast lift. These are also often referred to as hypertrophic scars. This is a kind of unfortunate scar tissue buildup that happens when breast lift scars healed improperly. These scars are noticeably raised and thick and tend to take on a disorderly pattern. This circumstance will darken scar tissue and complicate a patient's final results. Keloids are caused by an excess production of collagen during the healing process. Patients with darker skin may be at a higher risk for developing keloid scars.
What Is a Breast Lift Scar Revision?
For patients who have breast lift scars worse than anticipated, they may seek out corrective treatment. Patients who are decidedly unhappy with the appearance of their scars after breast lift surgery may desire professional scar removal treatments in which the surgeon attempts to lessen the appearance of their scars. To see examples of what this procedure can do, look up breast lift scar revision before and after photos.
Learn More About Breast Lift Scars
If you have more questions about the breast lift technique used in surgery, breast lift scarring or would like to find out if you're a good candidate for surgery, contact us today to schedule a consultation appointment with Dr. Aric Aghayan.
References
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/breast-lift/safety
