Let's Talk About Breast Augmentation Incisions

What are my options? 

Okay, here’s the reality. There is no such thing as scarless breast implant surgery. Unfortunately, swallowing the implant and having it pop out perfectly placed on your chest isn’t an option–though it would be nice.

Now that we’ve processed the fact that there will be a scar, let’s talk about the bright side.

And that is, you do have a choice when it comes to breast augmentation scars. Here are the four types of breast augmentation incisions: 

• TUBA: in the belly button
• Inframammary: under the breast, along the crease
• Periareolar: along the bottom of the areola  
• Transaxiallary: in the armpit

Each incision (and therefore the scar) is about 1-1.5 inches long. The inframammary, or crease incision, is by far the most popular in the Bustmob Community with transaxiallary and TUBA being the least common. 

The crease incision allows for better placement of the breast implant, lowers the risk of infection, and bypasses a lot of the milk ducts and nerves. It also means no additional incisions should you want to exchange your implants in the future.

Some plastic surgeons have incision preferences and incisions that they are really good at so keep that in mind when choosing your surgeon.

If you feel strongly about the incisions you’d like, go for it! Find a plastic surgeon that is skilled and willing to do that type of breast augmentation. 

Why would you exchange your implants? 

Women decide to exchange their breast implants for a number of reasons. The most common reasons are going up or down a size, changing the implant profile, or switching the implant type (saline or silicone breast implants).

To learn more about implant profile, how to pick your implant size, and implant type watch the full Breast Augmentation series in the free Bustmob Academy app. 

A breast implant exchange is not a revision (which is a procedure to correct complications, like capsular contracture). Because there isn’t anything wrong with the implant, breast implant exchanges tend to be a fairly easy procedure. 

Recovery is typically much faster and easier and final results appear around the 6-month mark, as opposed to 12 months like the original breast augmentation. 

If you have a crease incision, your plastic surgeon will go along the original incision, take the implant out and place the new one. In some cases, depending on the patient and the size of the new implant, a woman may not even go under full anesthesia, saving time and costs. 

How do you take care of your scars?

We’ve already established there will be a scar, but let’s talk about what you can expect with healing and visibility. 

Caring for your scars is really important to ensure your scars heal beautifully. With a strong scar protocol, some women have only a faint, smooth sliver, hardly noticeable hopping out of the shower. But, healing does take time (around 12 full months) so patience and consistency will be a big part of your recovery. 

At Amelia Aesthetics, you will often wake up from the procedure with scar tape on the incisions. The plastic surgeon will typically recommend you keep that incision covered with tape for 6 full weeks, replacing the tape at the 3-week mark. 

For most patients, after the initial 6 weeks, they are cleared to remove the tape and start using a scar salve twice daily for 12 months. 

In addition to gently massaging scar salve, you'll want to avoid exposing your scars to direct sunlight. Always keep them covered while tanning or hanging outside for the first 12 months after your surgery. Taking care of your scars and doing your best to limit sun exposure, will help decrease your scar’s visibility and redness. 

Wanna see for yourself?

Check out the Bustmob GoalFinder, our one-of-a-kind database with thousands of breast augmentation after photos. Search by incision type to see what each incision's scars actually look like.

Each photo in the Bustmob GoalFinder will list the incision type along with the post-op time that the photo was taken. You can filter results using your stats like height, weight, and complexion to see results on frames that match yours. 

Remember, scars take 12 months to fully heal so scars at the 3-month mark (typically when plastic surgeons will take after-photos) are going to be raised and redder than the final results.

Not only will you have a better understanding of your scar options, but seeing real results on real women can help you decide between some of the other choices you’ll make in your breast augmentation journey like implant type, placement, and size (to name a few).

But don’t get overwhelmed–Bustmob Academy is here to help. 

Found this helpful, but want more? 

Good news! This is just one of hundreds of fun, factual videos on the Bustmob Academy app to make your plastic surgery research easy.

From commonly told myths and FAQs, to recovery time and costs, Jenny Eden, founder of Bustmob, and Gretta Nance, lead educator at Amelia Aesthetics, break down your plastic surgery research into bite-size, binge-able pieces.