It's not scar tissue and it's temporary

[nukem2k5]

I know many of you think that if you take off your vest too early you'll develop some sort of scar tissue underneath your skin.  I was concerned about this, as I have developed some hard, lumpy tissue under my skin (which my PS told me about before the operation) and so I emailed him for further clarification:

my email:

I've noticed that some hard tissue has developed underneath my skin.  You mentioned healing tissue, but I've also read about scar tissue developing under the skin.  

I wore an ab binder sort of garment for compression last night and most of today, and when I took it off I noticed that the tissue under my skin was compressed and my chest was a bit flatter.  Is this tissue permanent or will it eventually go away?  What is this tissue, and should I be worried?  

his response:

What you describe is induration, is predictable and is temporary, though it lasts for months.

[/b]

Dictionary.com defines induration as
Pathology. The hardening of a normally soft tissue or organ, especially the skin, because of inflammation, infiltration of a neoplasm, or an accumulation of blood.

I know this was a concern of Brown's, so I was just making this a general post to keep all of us better informed and to hopefully relieve some of you who were also worried.  I don't know if wearing the vest for several weeks/months would have any affect on this.  I personally don't think it would.

[tonysoprano]

first time I ever heard the word.

Hopefully that is one of the components Of my thick,hard,sensitive,puffy,scarred,scar-tissued,raised,annoying nipples that Ive got going on here at 10 weeks post-op.
My surgeon says he wont intervene with any scar revisions or extra tissue removal till after the 6-month mark, though Im losing hope that anything additional will resolve itself naturally by that stage. Massaging dilligently 2x every day, but no change since this shit built up at 6 weeks post-op.

ps. did I mention your results looked great?

[nukem2k5]

Thanks, tony.  I'm going to take more pics probably today and post them.

Could you maybe post some pics so I can see what you're talking about?  Exactly how puffy are they?  Also, did you get excision / lipo only or did you have both done?

[rcbrown23]

Tony was actually the person I was talking about...I just didn't want to say names at the time.

I've heard of it before, too. Everything is going fine and the results are coming along nicely for a couple/few weeks, then all of the sudden it takes a turn for the worse. Like I said, after my first op things were a little better up untill week 3. I took my vest off, and within 24 hours it got worse...

Tony said he was looking good up untill week 4-5! It was an issue about a year ago on the boards. We just called it late-blooming scar tissue...but no one has seemed to be able to say exactly what it is, or why it developes so late.

I saw the definition you put up on "induration", but I'm not so sure that's what we're talking about. I know what that is and I have it going on right now, but it's softening up and getting better on a daily basis. One side is almost gone and I'm only at 3.5 weeks post op.

All I know is I'm not risking anything. I've started "weening" myself off the vest. I now take it off for 4-5 hours a day and within the next couple weeks I won't be wearing much at all. My results are, so far, very good. The tissue's are already softening up, and at this pace I'll be pretty much healed by week 6-7 or so. I'm still not getting my hopes up, though. After week six, then I'll finally admit I've rid the gyne forever. Untill then, my fingers are crossed.

-Brown

[nukem2k5]

Well good luck to you, brown, and I hope neither of us suffer from this "late-blooming" scar tissue.  

[rcbrown23]

Word.

[tonysoprano]

Hey Nuke. I had excision but with minor liposculpting (only 15cc per side).This was 10 weeks ago, but unfortunately I have no digi-camera to post pics. My before pics are with my ps, who Im not seeing for another 5 months, but am saving $$ for a camera now, as well as for the possibility of a "touch-up" which I believe I will eventually need(for assymetry).

RC ,you have read my sitch exactly right. I was perfectly fine until about 4 and a half /5 weeks , when It started. Before that my nips were totally flat,small and satisfying to me,the incisions were still scabs. Suddenly a ton of hard/lumpy blobs of scar tissue began forming right underneath the nipple and under the entire diameter of the aerola area, in chunks almost, and when the scabs fell away, the incisions underneath the nips were really red,raised and yeh you guessed it, hard with scar tissue as well.

If this is what 'late-blooming' scar tissue is , then I have it undoubtedly. But since things got so much worse, its really hard to see this ever correcting itself. I just cant see how a few more months will change how it looks, maybe it will feel softer, but I really need  it to go back to looking how it did shortly post-op.

The only real thing I can do now is continue to warm this computer chair, continue going to work, and then mention all this to my ps again in 5 months time.

cheers fellas

[nukem2k5]

Is this scar tissue due to the incisions on your areolas or from the gland removal in general?  I had excision through my armpits, as well as lipo, so I won't be having any scars on my nipples.

I see my PS tomorrow for a check-up and I'll ask him about this hard mass that I have.  In his email he said it was induration (just hard tissue that will go away in a few months) so hopefully that's all it is, and perhaps all you have.

[tonysoprano]

Is this scar tissue due to the incisions on your areolas or from the gland removal in general?  I had excision through my armpits, as well as lipo, so I won't be having any scars on my nipples.

.

Its both. Its not just some hard mass or firming of the chest wall. this shitt is hard,but lumpy blobs of painful scar tissue throughout the entire area under my entire aerola area, to make it appear like gyne gland once aGAIN, just much more painful. The worst part is that for a month I was wearing all the shirts I have been craving to wear for years, and even bought some newbies, and now I cant wear them, without looking much the same as I did pre-op,once again.
grrr

yeh- Im sure your ps has some answers for you. Let me know what exactly he describes induration as. Id be keen to know just how much stuff that term covers..

cheers matey

[rcbrown23]

That's really strange for it to hit so late. I know what your talking about...I have the "lumpy scar tissue" going on, but mine is going away FAST. I started massaging two days ago and it's already about half gone.

I'm almost 4 weeks post, and everything is healing really nicely...I don't see how any more scar tissue would form. It seems like I'm almost healed.

On the other hand...after my first op a year ago, at week 3 it got worse. Scar tissue hit, but it doesn't sound as bad as you case. I don't know what to tell you...

If it is the firm lumpy scar tissue, it will go away with time. I still HIGHLY recommend getting steroid injections. Go to your regular doctor and he should be able to give them to you, no problem. To answer a previous question of yours, Yes, I believe that the injections work best on fresh scar tissue. If you wait 5 months, they would still help, but if you got them now, there's a good chance that you'd be back in those T-shirts within a month, seriously.

[nukem2k5]

I think you guys are under the wrong impression.  It's not scar tissue, but just other hard healing tissue.  My PS explained to me today what it was exactly but I don't quite remember what he said.  He mentioned that it's a matrix of blood cells, liquid, etc that will regress over time as the body heals.

Unless you're talking about tissue where an incision was made, I don't think what you have is scar tissue, and I wouldn't advise getting steroid injections.  Most of my chest now has underlying hard tissue that I was told will go away in the coming months.

I guess it's kind of hard for me to understand what tony is talking about without pics.  Have you spoken to your PS about it?