How I Manage Scar Treatment After Breast Reduction

After breast reduction surgery,

the part that causes the most concern

is, above all else, the scar issue.

Reduction surgery

can give you smaller, more attractive breasts,

but at the same time it also

leaves unwanted scars.

Because of that, when choosing

breast reduction surgery,

the scar issue is probably the part

people worry about the most.

People often think that scars

will disappear over time

or that it is enough to erase them with a laser.

To put it simply,

there is no way to erase scars in the world.

Scar ointments

Scar injections

Oral medication

Laser treatment

The fact that there are so many

different ways to treat scars

means that none of them is a perfect solution.

If there were a way

to completely remove scars,

then no one would have scars at all.

Since scars cannot be completely removed,

the key point of reduction surgery

is to begin with making the scar

as short and as inconspicuous as possible.

To reduce scarring, delicate suturing is important first.

But even with careful stitching,

scars will still remain,

so after surgery you also need

to make efforts to reduce them

in various ways.

Then let me explain

how scars should be managed

after reduction surgery.

In postoperative scar care,

the easiest and most commonly used method

is scar ointment.

This may be because it is convenient,

but in actual use,

many people seem to confuse wound ointment

with scar ointment.

To understand this, first we need

to distinguish between wounds and scars.

State immediately after an injury or surgery = wound

State after the wound has healed in 1 to 2 weeks = scar

That is how we can describe it.

The Fusidin or Madecassol that many people know

are wound ointments,

not scar ointments.

Applying ointment to an early wound to prevent infection

means that less scarring may remain,

but once the wound has healed,

it does not help reduce scars.

So after the wound has healed,

you should use scar ointment,

not wound ointment.

Scar ointments are broadly divided into

two types.

Absorption-type ointment: absorbs into the skin to help prevent excessive scar growth

Coating-type ointment: applies silicone gel to the scar to maintain moisture and improve the scar

In addition,

Silicone sheet: not an ointment, but a sheet that can be attached to and removed from the scar

Each company says its own product is good,

and some papers say that using two types together

is more effective, but from experience

the effects of the products seem similar.

These scar ointments are generally recommended

to be used 2 to 3 times a day,

for anywhere from 6 months to 1 year.

Personally, I think the objective evidence

is rather weak,

so I recommend using just one product

starting from 2 weeks after surgery

for about 3 months.

After surgery, you can manage the scar yourself at home

by applying scar ointment,

but you will also visit the hospital at regular intervals

for laser treatment.

As many people imagine, laser treatment

is not simply about shaving off the scar.

Depending on the scar's maturation process and condition,

we use various devices such as

Fraxel laser,

long-pulse 1064,

532 laser, and others

to treat hypertrophic scars,

pigmentation, and excessive blood vessel growth

as appropriate to the situation.

Even after going through postoperative laser treatment,

hypertrophic scars can still remain.

In such cases, injection treatment

or oral scar medication may be prescribed.

There are two main drugs used for injections.

Triamcinolone: suppresses excessive fibroblast proliferation and causes tissue atrophy

5-FU: directly destroys scar cells

Because side effects can occur,

careful ongoing monitoring is necessary.

In addition, there is also a method

of continuously taping the wound area.

This involves cutting tape and applying it

across the vertical direction of the scar

to reduce the force placed on the scar.

Personally, rather than skin suturing,

I perform dermal suturing,

and because I use sutures that maintain tension for a long time,

I think taping is an unnecessary measure.

Of course, there may be others

who have different opinions,

but while tape is being worn,

it is difficult to actively use methods such as

scar ointments or laser treatment,

and the adhesive in the tape can also

cause contact dermatitis,

so I do not recommend long-term tape use.

It is good to remember

that scar treatment should be started

as early as possible.

I hope this has helped answer your questions

about scar management after breast reduction surgery.

Scarring after surgery is an unavoidable issue,

but it is not something that must simply be given up on.

If you actively manage and treat scars after surgery,

I believe there is definitely room

for some degree of improvement.