I’m wondering if anyone has had any treatment to improve a scar. I have a horizontal scar after having 4 lymph removed. It goes from my underarm, is about 3 1/2 inches wide 2 inches of which go onto my chest. It is deeply retracted, looks like a big fold of fat (I’m not fat) and is highly visible in some clothing. I’m quite upset about it and I haven’t seen any images online of a scar like it. The incision itself has healed well. I don’t mind having a scar, it’s the deep fold on my chest that bothers me. When I mentioned it to the surgeon he said I’d probably always have an indentation but didn’t offer any suggestions for improvement. I’ve been trying scar massage but with little improvement. I’m hoping for rebalancing surgery in the future and was wondering if scar improvement could be done at the same time. Has anyone had a similar experience?
Hey @normsgirl
It looks like from your previous posts that you had your last surgery in October so, if that’s the case, the scar would still be considered to be quite new. I’ve had a variety of surgeries now for different conditions and all of my scars, even the ones that initially started quite lumpy, have flattened out and become almost invisible. I’ve, in fact, been previously advised by a surgeon that the final appearance of a scar won’t really be apparent until around 18 months after the surgery so it could just be that yours needs more time to settle down.
I had a biopsy on my chest in December 2024 that left a scar which looked like it had been folded over into a flap and, although small, it was still quite noticeable and a bit unsightly! This flattened down by itself over time and today you can’t even see it.
I hope my experience gives you a little reassurance that this is something that absolutely could resolve itself. There’s just a lot of thumb twiddling to be done during the process!
All the best to you x
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. My axillary scar is from my first surgery in August but in scar terms you’re right, it’s still quite new.
I’m hoping your experience will be the case for me and I was thinking about 2 years ahead for rebalancing surgery so fingers crossed it may sort itself out by then. Right now, it’s big and deep enough that t shirts get stuck in it! In the meantime, you’ve made me feel a bit more hopeful. Xx
Hi normsgirl
I had a double mastectomy back in 2022. This left me with ‘dog ears’ at each outer edge but the most troublesome one was at the centre of my chest, a lump that stayed sore because all clothes rubbed across it. It was subsequently decided I would have an axillary clearance on one side so I asked my surgeon (the same one) if he could improve them all whilst I was under the knife for this second time. He duly obliged and did a very neat job, particularly in the centre where he used slightly zigzagged stitching to neatly gather in the excess skin there thus flattening the lump. I’m very pleased with the result and so much more comfortable than I was. Hope this helps. Good luck x
That’s great to know! Thanks so much. Xx