When men are looking into gynecomastia surgery for a more masculine-looking chest, one of the most common concerns is what their scar might look like following the procedure. In many cases, incisions are necessary to adequately remove glandular tissue, skin, and fat that might be contributing to enlarged breast shape. However, this doesn’t mean that your incisions will lead to unsightly scars, especially if you know how to take care of them in the days, weeks, and months following your procedure.
Causes of Surgical Scars
Not all surgeries necessarily result in scars that others notice when they see the place where it was performed. At the same time, whenever the skin is damaged, it heals in particular ways, often creating fine lines of scar tissue, red lines, or other markers of is history. This is because your skin does one of several things when it heals: it creates extra collagen – supportive proteins that provide internal structure between skin cells – and responds to your body’s wound-healing process, involving the immune system, platelets, and inflammation. These all contribute to the final long-lasting appearance of any wound, from a scraped knee to a surgical scar.
When it comes to surgery, scarring is influenced by three major things:
The surgeon’s skill
The location of the incision
The type of surgery
With precise incision markings, creation, and sealing, surgeries don’t have to result in deep scars. An experienced gynecomastia surgeon like Dr. Miguel Delgado makes precise incisions with minimal invasiveness to prevent excess scarring. There are additional risk factors, however, that can contribute to unsightly wounds after surgery.
Risk Factors for Adverse Scarring
Not everyone is an ideal candidate for gynecomastia surgery with little scarring. Risk factors like age, lifestyle habits, or other unchangeable scenarios can change your reaction to the surgery.
Lifestyle Habits
One of the most commonly instructed preparation steps before surgery of any kind is to stop smoking if you currently do. Smoking inhibits the immune system to the point where the skin doesn’t heal as quickly or effectively as non-smokers. Other behaviors, such as frequent sun exposure without protection or exposure to certain environmental pollutants can also hinder the skin’s ability to heal, resulting in worse scars after gynecomastia surgery.
Age
Older people have less collagen throughout their body, meaning their skin isn’t as tight, resilient, or elastic, which plays into how they heal after surgery. The older you have surgery, the less likely it is that your results will be unnoticeable.
Genetics
Finally, at the end of the day, some people simply heal better following wounds or surgery because of their genetics. The healing process is complicated but involves more than just surface-level factors. Some people literally have thicker, more resilient skin that doesn’t produce visible scars no matter how invasive the procedure or where it’s performed.
Preventing Adverse Scarring
Besides eliminating habits like smoking, there may be a few things you can do to help prevent persistent scar tissue from forming after gynecomastia surgery. Research shows that eating plenty of protein along with a balanced diet provides the nutrients your skin needs to heal effectively following gynecomastia surgery.
Not only for scarring, but also for complete, quick recovery, it’s important to follow all of your doctor’s directions for recovering from your specific male breast reduction surgery. You should clean your wound as instructed, follow care guidelines, and change any bandages as necessary.
Finally, keep pressure and tension off your incision sites as much as physically possible. This means refraining from lifting anything but light objects, avoiding strenuous activities, and performing therapeutic exercises to prevent undue stress on the vulnerable site.
Gynecomastia Scar Treatment
There may be additional ways beyond minimizing risk factors for extensive scarring to help you enjoy the most benefits from your male breast reduction surgery. By consulting with a highly experienced gynecomastia expert like Dr. Miguel Delgado, you can find out what your ideal surgery might look like, especially after the procedure itself. Learn more about gynecomastia and your options for treatment by browsing our leading gynecomastia forum.
Will Your Man Boobs Come Back After Gynecomastia Surgery?
The primary concern regarding man-boobs gynecomastia surgery is often the longevity of the results. Patients want to know whether or not gynecomastia surgery will provide them with permanent relief from gynecomastia symptoms, most often referred to as man boobs. Fortunately, the results of gynecomastia surgery are permanent, and below, we’ll tell you exactly why.
The Gynecomastia Surgery Procedure
Unlike most body contouring procedures, which target stubborn fat, man-boobs gynecomastia surgery is actually removing tissue. When fat cells are removed, fat can easily reaccumulate if a patient doesn’t maintain healthy lifestyle habits. But the tissue that is removed will not grow back. The appearance of man boobs is caused by fatty tissue in the chest, not the presence of fat cells. So, when this tissue is removed via gynecomastia surgery, it permanently removes it from the body and provides a long-lasting sculpted appearance. To see some of the results that we have helped other patients achieve, be sure to explore our gynecomastia before and after gallery.
After Your Gynecomastia Surgery
Keep in mind that the results from your gynecomastia surgery will largely be reliant on how you handle your recovery period and your lifestyle following treatment. While gynecomastia can permanently eliminate man boobs, it cannot prevent the accumulation of fat in the chest and surrounding areas. You need to be aware that future weight gain may cause fat accumulation in the chest where gynecomastia once affected you. Fortunately, as this is just fat-related weight gain, it can be more easily eliminated with diet and gynecomastia exercise when necessary.
Do I Need Gynecomastia Surgery?
The first step in determining if you need man-boobs gynecomastia surgery is determining whether your symptoms are actually gynecomastia-related. If so, you’ve probably noticed that your chest remains unchanged despite diet and exercise habits. If you merely have stubborn fat in the chest, there may be other treatment options, including non-surgical ones, that will be more suitable than gynecomastia surgery. In cases where the appearance of man boobs is a result of gynecomastia and the buildup of fatty tissue in the chest, gynecomastia surgery is often the best course of treatment to produce the desired chest contours.
Most of the patients have degrees of gynecomastia that are not excessively saggy, and so in these instances, the skin elasticity will ensure that the skin snaps appropriately into a more aesthetically pleasing position. The common question is will my skin sag after gynecomastia surgery?
Will my skin sag after gynecomastia surgery?
Due to the high volume of patients, I see regarding their gynecomastia concerns over the years, I have designed a customized 4-step gynecomastia surgery program called 4D Chest Remodelling. It reduces fat tissues and removes excess glandular tissues while stimulating the production of subdermal collagen to induce tissue remodeling and production of new collagen and elastin.”
Unlike the standard gynecomastia surgery, 4D Chest Remodelling is a more complex treatment modality especially planned for those whose ultimate objective is to achieve a flatter and sculpted chest using high definition body sculpting technique.
Step 1: Gynecomastia Surgery
Gynecomastia is commonly caused by hormone imbalance and is the result of excess glandular and/or fatty breast tissues in men. It comes in a variety of degrees from very mild to significant enlargement. Gynecomastia surgery is still the best option to address the issue effectively.
Step 2: Fat Tissue Removal
For those who not only have enlarged glands tissue but also fat accumulation, fat reduction will be carried out. VASER® Lipo is a less invasive form of liposuction. Unlike the standard liposuction, it can precisely target problem areas without causing damage to surrounding tissues. This leaves a more contoured and defined appearance.
Step 3: Subdermal Collagen Production Stimulation with VASER® Lipo
Collagen is important as it gives structure to our skin, bones, and all other connective tissue. VASER® Lipo is not only effective in removing excess fat; it also stimulates collagen production and skin retraction resulting in smoother skin.
Step 4: Nipple Reduction in 4D Chest Remodelling
Gynecomastia patients also may experience nipple issues. 4D Chest Remodelling® can help reduce their sizes for a more symmetrical nipple-areola creating a more masculine appearance.
4D Chest Remodelling will significantly lower the risk of skin sag after gynecomastia surgery.
Not all surgeons require a compression vest after surgery, or some for only a short time. I have my gynecomastia patients wear a compression vest 24/7 for 6 weeks. The vest may be bulky, and a little uncomfortable, but is necessary for the healing process. It should be worn snug, but not tight.
Dr. Miguel Delgado recommends the vest be worn 24/7 for 4 to 6 weeks, depending on how the patient is healing. The vest should only be removed when showering. It is recommended to have 2 vests so that you can rotate them while one is being laundered.
The purpose of the vest is to aid the skin to contract. The vest helps increase the flow of blood and prevent the collection of fluid. Additionally, the compression vest controls the amount of swelling, and aids in binding the chest tissues, while decreasing post-op pain.
The Importance of the Compression Vest, After initial healing, Dr. Delgado has his patients graduate to a second vest that is thinner and has a lining of soft T-shirt material with compression in the chest area only. Men who wear dress shirts state that these vests are not visible and more comfortable.
After Gynecomastia Surgery, What Does The Male Chest Look Like? Understanding what to expect after gynecomastia surgery helps ease anxiety. The goal, of course, is to reduce the size of the male breast and to leave a masculine contoured chest. Removing too much breast tissue may result in a “crater deformity” and may necessitate further surgery. If not enough tissue is removed, additional surgery may also be needed. It is important to choose a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who specializes in gynecomastia. After surgery, you will most likely be wearing a compression vest, and you will have drains in place. After 2 or 3 days the drains will be removed. The sutures are usually removed after 1 week. The compression vest is to be worn 24/7 for 6 weeks and is only to be removed when showering. Showering is allowed when the drain incisions have completely closed in about 2 to 3 days after removal. When the vest is removed, men need to understand what they see is not the final result. The incisions around the bottom half of the areola are evident, but when they have healed, they are almost invisible due to the change in skin texture. The drain incision, which is very small, can leave a visible scar on the side of the chest. However, sensitive to men’s comments about the drain scar, Dr. Miguel Delgado now positions the drain incision high in the armpit area and is well hidden. Viewing the chest at the early healing stage can be very disconcerting for many patients. Swelling is normal after any surgical procedure and is part of the natural healing process, it can last for several weeks, and some residual swelling can last several months. Swelling occurs to increase blood supply to the surgical area; this is to bring extra nutrients that promote healing. The inflammation also helps fight off infections. However, excess swelling and inflammation need to be watched closely for a possible hematoma, an abnormal collection of blood outside of a blood vessel. When viewing your surgical results a few days after surgery, do not be alarmed if your chest still looks full. As the swelling subsides, the true contour of the chest will become evident, and the ability to go shirtless will finally be a reality. According to many postings on the website RealSelf.com, it is clear that many men are concerned about their puffy nipples after surgery. This has the potential of becoming a problem if all the swelling has subsided. Usually, if puffy nipples remain, it is an indication that not enough breast tissue was removed from behind the nipple, especially if liposuction alone was performed and there wasn’t any excision of breast tissue. This can be corrected but entails another surgery. Choose your gynecomastia surgeon carefully!
Gynecomastia surgery after weight loss requires the expertise of a board certified gynecomastia specialist. There can be a large amount of skin, fat, and tissue after weight loss that requires special skills for reduction beyond the traditional male breast reduction surgery.
For some men, the 2 stage procedure is an excellent solution to remaining tissue and skin after weight loss. The first stage reduces the amount of skin and tissue by an excision in a doughnut shape around the areola and then closed with purse string type sutures. The second stage can be done as an office procedure under local anesthesia. See our blog on April 16, 2012, for more details on the 2 Stage Procedure.
The 2 stage procedure is not an option for some men with excessive amounts of skin to be removed. In order to get a more masculine chest, the surgeon will need to make incisions around the areola, and vertical to the breast crease, known as an inverted T or the anchor incision. This incision will leave visible scars, but most men are comfortable with the trade-off.
Gynecomastia After Weight Loss
After Gynecomastia Surgery
Unless the patient is prone to keloids or developing raised scars, the incision heals nicely. However, for those who end up with more visible scarring, there are several treatments today that can minimize the final result. The skilled gynecomastia surgeon will use deep suturing techniques to reduce tension on the skin.
Silicone sheeting has proved to be a good treatment once the incision has healed by keeping the skin hydrated. Steroid injections, massaging, and laser treatments are all possible treatments. For the most difficult scars, scar revision surgery may be needed.
The primary concern regarding man-boobs gynecomastia surgery is often the longevity of the results. Patients want to know whether or not gynecomastia surgery will provide them with permanent relief from gynecomastia symptoms, most often referred to as man boobs. Fortunately, the results of gynecomastia surgery are permanent, and below, we’ll tell you exactly why.
