What breast reduction scars can I expect?

There are different methods of breast reduction, so the scars created will depend upon which technique is carried out, as well as the size of the breasts being operated on. The level of scarring also depends on the patient.

What are the most common breast reduction scars?

There are different techniques for breast reduction and the most common breast reduction scars created will depend on the technique employed, as well as the patient in question and the size of the breasts being reduced.

Most commonly you should expect some scarring around the nipple, across the bottom of the breast fold, and a vertical scar linking the nipple scar to the breast fold scar giving rise to the so-called ‘inverted T’ or anchor pattern. Some surgeons prefer to perform the operation omitting the breast fold scar giving rise to the ‘vertical scar’ reduction. Not everybody is necessarily eligible for this and it tends to be used for not such large breasts.

If a breast reduction is performed using liposuction techniques only, there will only be minor scars under the arms, where they cannot be seen. This technique is often referred to as ‘scarless breast reduction’.

The Cadogan Clinic provides every patient with access to one of London’s most advanced scar minimisation programmes, led by our scar prevention team here at the clinic.

Do breast reduction scars go away?

Breast reduction scars will never completely go away, but with an expert surgeon and the right after-care, scarring can be minimal.

It is very important that a patient follows after-care advice in order to minimise scarring. Smoking, tanning, excessive scrubbing and scratching the area should be avoided as these can make scarring worse.