Scars - how bad are they? Any pictures?

[MonarchX]

I don't ever see pictures of scars post-op.

Could someone post theirs?  Are they truly noticeable or does it all depend on the healing job and suturing process?

[MonarchX]

Bump!  

[cantchooseaname]

If I remember correctly, you said you are just gonna have lipo, right?  The incisions for lipo are VERY small.  I had about 4 in random places on my chest and they are completely gone now.  Most surgeons make the incisions around the areola so the scar blends in and can barely be seen.  Hope this helps!

[MonarchX]

I am going to have lipo for sure, but I want to convince my surgeon to do the excision after lipo so that I won't have to repeat the lipo again.

[lopher]

The external visible scarring after incision along the bottom of the aerola is virtually none. Basically if you keep it out of the sun for 6 months, massage scar treatment / vitamin e etc into it then no-one will ever know unless you tell them. That's as long as your a youngish white male. People with darker skin and especially asians, heal from the scarring a lot worse. So it's really not an issue if your white, under 40 and have reasonable skin health.

After surgery it will be the internal scar tissue that you will be worried about. Nobody freaks out over the external scarring. You can see endless amounts of post op threads on this forum where people are worried about internal scar tissue that has formed. But any worries about external scars soon fade away after surgery. You almost always get that WOW surprise when you look at the scars and discover how small they are. Usually within 6 weeks they are almost undetectable.

lopher

[jc71]

My Areola scars are pretty much non-detectible.

My Lipo scars you can see.

It's just the opposite of what I was expecting.

Overall, I'd say the scaring is not bad. I can certainly live with it.  It's a very small price to pay for being without gyne.

[Grandpa Bambu]

MonarchX.....

Have a look at my post-op pics....  Click on the 'Pics' link in my Sig below. The last two pics are areola/nipple close-ups. Peri-areola sarring is 'almost' undetecable....  Cannot detect the lipo entry points at 10 months....  

John.

[MonarchX]

Yeah, it looks cool.  However, many people's nipples seem to be...attached to the chest...like glued, lol.  Would that effect go away as well?


What exactly are the internal scars?  Liquid formed when it swells?  Does it occur after excision or liposuction mostly?

The doctor who will be opreating will see me every day because I work in his office.

[Grandpa Bambu]

Many people's nipples seem to be...attached to the chest...like glued, lol.  Would that effect go away as well?

Not sure as to what you mean by 'glued' to the chest....

Do mine look 'glued' to you?  

John.

[jones357]

I have that "glued to my chest problem", but only on one side.  I never knew about or noticed it (pre op) like you have on other peoples photos.  If you want to see a thread on it, go to "Nailed to the wall". Lopher seamed to find a solution for that problem.  

[DrBermant]

I don't ever see pictures of scars post-op.

Could someone post theirs?  Are they truly noticeable or does it all depend on the healing job and suturing process?

All wounds heal with a scar.  Scars are part of the normal healing process.  The question is the extent and nature of the scar.  Scars can be soft and barely noticeable.  They can be on the surface or through the plane of deeper dissection.  Scars can also adhere layers together such that tissue movement is abnormal.

Check out this bad adhesion scar movie that shows a large crater defect.

Here is another movie of another patients with a bad adhesion scar from liposuction alone.

Scars can be normal in color, lighter than normal, or darker than normal.

Scars are a function of the problem treated, surgical techniques, skill of your surgeon, swelling and bruising after surgery, after care, and how you heal.  I prefer techniques that typically result in minimal scars, those that are as soft as possible and move well during animation.

This movie deals with the emotional scars of living with gynecomastia and the very early results after an internal lift mastopexy chest lift.

I take movies of all of my gynecomastia patients, I have just not had the time to put the typical movies up on the website.

The areola chest skin interface is a great place to hide a scar.  Check out the many before after pictures of this Areola / Nipple Gallery here, here, and here.  These results are typical for my sculpture of my patients.

How tissues move is important.  The human body is beautiful in animation.  That is why I show pictures of the chest with arms up, down, and with muscles tight / relaxed in addition to the results from multiple views.  Limited view demonstrations can pick the best angle to hide deformities and problems.  Such analysis of the results as well as how tissues evolve, the possible need for drains, comfort level after surgery, are important factors in picking your doctor.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Chest Sculpture

[MonarchX]

All wounds heal with a scar.  Scars are part of the normal healing process.  The question is the extent and nature of the scar.  Scars can be soft and barely noticeable.  They can be on the surface or through the plane of deeper dissection.  Scars can also adhere layers together such that tissue movement is abnormal.

Check out this bad adhesion scar movie that shows a large crater defect.

Here is another movie of another patients with a bad adhesion scar from liposuction alone.

Scars can be normal in color, lighter than normal, or darker than normal.

Scars are a function of the problem treated, surgical techniques, skill of your surgeon, swelling and bruising after surgery, after care, and how you heal.  I prefer techniques that typically result in minimal scars, those that are as soft as possible and move well during animation.

This movie deals with the emotional scars of living with gynecomastia and the very early results after an internal lift mastopexy chest lift.

I take movies of all of my gynecomastia patients, I have just not had the time to put the typical movies up on the website.

The areola chest skin interface is a great place to hide a scar.  Check out the many before after pictures of this Areola / Nipple Gallery here, here, and here.  These results are typical for my sculpture of my patients.

How tissues move is important.  The human body is beautiful in animation.  That is why I show pictures of the chest with arms up, down, and with muscles tight / relaxed in addition to the results from multiple views.  Limited view demonstrations can pick the best angle to hide deformities and problems.  Such analysis of the results as well as how tissues evolve, the possible need for drains, comfort level after surgery, are important factors in picking your doctor.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Chest Sculpture

Thank you for your reply, Dr. Berman.

I'm not sure if you will answer the following question, but it would of great help since you specialize in this field.

My surgeon/doctor believes that due to the nature of my gynecomastia (quarter-sized, 2-3mm thick glands, attached to the muscle, and not nipples), he can manage to to use liposuction only to remove them.  His plan is to break up the gland into small pieces and then stuck it out.  He also noted of a possibility of a second liposuction due to possible failure to remove all of the gland the first time.

Now, I have read numerous articles on this issue and the least contradicting statement was "Liposuction is not a good mehtod for removing the gland" to the worst statement "Liposuction will NOT remove the gland."

One person had the surgery done that exact same (break the gland with liposuction) method with nearly identical case of minor gynecomastia (picture comparison).  His results were definately satisfying, but the nipple is not 100% flat.  A second liposuction is a possibility.  Also, I believe, only about 2 months passed since the operation.

What is your opinion on this?  Is liposuction (without ultra-sound which can burn the skin/tissue) with breaking of the gland a feasable method for removing minor gynecomastia?

My surgeon would be happy to perform the excision as well IF the liposuction alone will prove to be inefficient.


Thank you for your kindness in answering my questions related to post-op. scaring.