Tell me about Breast Augmentation Scars
- Locations of surgical scars
- Solutions for minimizing scars after surgery
We really love doing breast augmentation surgery and one of the most common questions we get asked in our clinic is where are the scars located? Although the placement of the short scar (2 inches or less) in breast augmentation surgery will depend in part on the size and type of breast implant you chose, in almost all cases the scar is hidden in one of three locations: the armpit, the base of your breast or around your areola. In our clinic, we will go over with you the length and placement of this scar before surgery so you don’t have to worry about its appearance after surgery.
The length of the scar does depend on the size and type of the implant you chose but it will likely be 2 inches or less. This is true for almost any location on your breast that the scar is placed. In cases where the implant is larger and silicone, for example, a silicone implant greater than 600cc, the length of this scar may be slightly greater than 2 inches. When saline implants are used, the scar length can often be reduced to 1 inch or less.
One of the most common locations for scars in breast augmentation surgery is at the bottom of the breast. With this approach, The scar is placed slightly above the fold of the breast, where the base of your breast meets your chest. By placing it slightly above this fold, the scar will not be visible in almost any style of clothing, including most bikinis or bras. Also, by placing the scar near but slightly above this fold, the scar will likely not be visible without clothing while standing and looking into a mirror.
Another common choice for scar placement with this surgery is around the areola. Depending on the size and color of your areola, these scars tend to heal very well and are not very visible. This scar is camouflaged by the natural transition from the color of your areola to the color of your skin.
Lastly, another desirable location for placement of these scars is in the armpit. By using the natural transition from the hair bearing to the non hair bearing part of your armpit, the scar should heal well and be faint and understated. This approach also avoids placing a scar on your breast but may limit the size of the implant used if a silicone implant is chosen.
One important final point about surgical scars of the breast after surgery is that we have many different options to improve their appearance. From scar creams and silicone applications, to laser treatments, micro needling and even external radio frequency treatments, many options exist to help scars fade. Therefore, even though the short scars in breast augmentation surgery tend to heal very well, in those cases where the scar is more obvious, many options now exist to help improve its appearance.