Breast Lift Scars and Daily Life After Mastopexy: Sleeping, Sports Bras and Sun Protection

The dressings come off, and there they are: two, sometimes three, fine red lines tracing the underside of each breast like the outline of a keyhole. Almost everyone has the same reaction in that first mirror moment. Not shock exactly, more a quiet recalculation. This is what the surgeon meant by “trade-off.”

Then daily life arrives with its awkward questions. Which side can I sleep on? Is my old sports bra going to hurt? Can I wear a swimsuit this summer, and what will the sun do to these lines? Most of what people worry about in the first month is not the scar itself but how to live around it.

This explainer takes the honest route on breast lift scars long term: what they look like at six weeks, six months and two years, why some fade beautifully and others stay stubborn, and which everyday habits, from pillows to SPF, are supported by evidence rather than folklore.

Do breast lift scars go away? What breast lift scars look like long term

No scar disappears. A scar is the collagen patch the body lays down where skin was cut, and that patch is structurally different from the skin around it. It never regains the original pattern of hair follicles, oil glands or pigment cells. What changes, often dramatically, is how visible it is.

Fresh surgical scars are red or dark pink because the healing site is crowded with tiny new blood vessels. Over the following months those vessels retreat and the collagen remodels, so the line flattens and lightens. The NHS describes scars as becoming paler and flatter over time, with the process taking up to two years in some people. Mayo Clinic notes that breast lift scars are permanent but usually soften and fade within one to two years, and that they are placed so a bra or swimsuit covers them.

What does “faded” mean in practice? At the two-year mark, a well-healed mastopexy scar on lighter skin is typically a thin, silvery or slightly paler line that catches the eye only in certain light. On deeper skin tones the mature scar may sit slightly darker or lighter than the surrounding skin, and the areola margin, where the scar meets pigmented tissue, often blends more easily than the vertical limb. Scars that were stretched, infected or pulled open during healing tend to end up wider and more noticeable.

The realistic expectation, then, is a scar you know is there, not one a stranger would spot across a room. People who are happiest with the long-term result tend to be those who understood this before surgery rather than hoping for invisibility afterward.

How a mastopexy actually works, and why the incisions sit where they do

Mastopexy is the surgical term for a breast lift: an operation that removes excess skin, tightens the remaining tissue, and moves the nipple and areola (the darker circle of skin around the nipple) to a higher position on the breast. Unlike augmentation, it does not add volume, and unlike reduction, it removes little or no breast tissue. Its job is shape and position.

Picture a bag that has stretched. To make it sit higher you have to take fabric out of the lower half and stitch the edges back together. On a breast, the excess skin is almost always below and around the nipple, which is why the incisions cluster there. The surgeon marks the new nipple position while the patient is standing, cuts around the areola, removes a wedge or crescent of skin beneath it, reshapes the underlying tissue with internal stitches, and closes the skin in layers.

Those internal layers matter for scars. Deep sutures carry most of the tension so the skin edges meet without being pulled apart. When tension is high, or when a person’s skin is thin or heavily stretched from pregnancy or weight change, the scar is more likely to widen as it matures.

Mayo Clinic lists the procedure’s typical elements as incisions around the areola, sometimes extending down to the breast crease and along it, with the operation performed under general anesthesia or sedation and usually taking a few hours. The nipple generally stays attached to its blood and nerve supply and is repositioned on a pedicle of tissue, which is why most people keep sensation, although temporary numbness is common and permanent change is a recognized risk.

Lollipop breast lift scars, anchor, donut or crescent: which leaves the least?

People searching for “the breast lift with the least scarring” are really asking a different question: how much lift do I need? The incision pattern follows the amount of skin that must come out, so the smallest scar is only available to the person who needs the smallest correction.

Pattern	Where the scar sits	Typically used when	Trade-off
Crescent	Half-moon along the top edge of the areola	Very minor nipple repositioning	Minimal scar, minimal lift; limited candidates
Periareolar (“donut”)	Full circle around the areola	Mild sagging, modest skin excess	Scar hidden at the pigment border; can flatten the breast and widen the areola
Vertical (“lollipop”)	Around the areola plus a line down to the crease	Moderate sagging	Good shaping; the vertical limb is the most visible scar
Inverted-T (“anchor”)	Areola, vertical line, and along the breast crease	Significant sagging or large skin excess	Most scar length; most control over shape

A lollipop lift, the term people often type, is the vertical pattern: a ring around the areola with a single line dropping to the fold, which together look like a lollipop on a stick. It removes skin in the vertical dimension, tightens the lower breast and avoids the horizontal scar in the crease.

The anchor pattern adds that crease scar. It is usually hidden by the natural fold and by a bra line, and although longer, the horizontal component is often the least noticeable part because it sits in a shadow. The vertical limb, by contrast, runs across skin that is exposed in a lower neckline or at the pool.

Mayo Clinic and the NHS both describe these options and stress that the choice depends on breast size, degree of sagging and skin quality, decided with the surgeon. A smaller scar bought at the price of an inadequate lift is rarely a good bargain.

Who is usually offered a breast lift, and who is asked to wait

The typical candidate has breasts that have lost their higher position through pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight loss or simply time, with the nipple now sitting at or below the level of the crease. Surgeons describe this as ptosis, the medical word for drooping. Volume is roughly adequate; it is the skin envelope that has outgrown its contents.

Beyond anatomy, teams look at health and timing. Mayo Clinic advises that a lift may be better delayed if you are planning pregnancy, because pregnancy can stretch the breasts again and undo the result, and if you are planning significant weight loss, since weight change alters breast shape. Being at a stable weight for several months first is a common request.

Smoking is the other frequent reason to wait. Nicotine narrows small blood vessels, and the nipple and areola depend on a slim supply of tissue after repositioning. Poor blood flow raises the risk of wound breakdown, delayed healing and worse scars. Most surgical teams ask patients to stop smoking and nicotine products for a period before and after surgery; the exact window is set by the team.

Breastfeeding plans matter too. Mayo Clinic lists difficulty breastfeeding as a possible complication, because some milk ducts can be disturbed depending on technique. Someone who intends to nurse a future child may be advised to postpone.

Other reasons for caution include uncontrolled diabetes, bleeding disorders, a history of keloid scarring, and unrealistic expectations, particularly a hope that a lift will add fullness. The NHS notes that a lift does not increase size, and that some people combine it with an implant, a separate decision with its own risks. In every case the assessment is individual and rests with the treating surgeon.

What the first days and weeks after a breast lift usually look like

The first 48 hours are about swelling and soreness rather than scars. Breasts feel tight and heavy, bruising blooms around the incisions, and the skin may feel numb or oddly tingly. Dressings or surgical tape usually cover the lines, and a surgical support bra goes on in the operating room. Mayo Clinic describes wearing this bra around the clock for the first few days, then a soft support bra for about three to four weeks.

By the end of week one, most people have had a follow-up visit to check the wounds and possibly remove any drain tubes. Absorbable stitches dissolve on their own; non-absorbable ones are removed around one to two weeks, per Mayo Clinic. The NHS suggests planning one to two weeks off work, more for physically demanding jobs.

Weeks two to four bring a shift. Swelling settles unevenly, so one breast can look higher or larger than the other for a while, which alarms people who have not been warned. Incisions may itch as nerves regrow. The NHS advises avoiding strenuous exercise, heavy lifting and stretching for around four weeks; Mayo Clinic frames it as several weeks of avoiding strenuous activity.

Around six weeks, many teams clear gradual return to exercise and to ordinary bras, although the scars are still in their loud phase: red, firm and slightly raised. This is normal. The scar has finished the wound-closure stage and started the long remodeling stage.

Timelines differ with technique, healing and the surgeon’s protocol. Treat these ranges as a map of typical territory, not an itinerary, and follow the specific instructions you were given.

The 18-month scar arc: month by month, what fading really means

Scar maturation has a rhythm, and knowing it prevents a lot of unnecessary worry.

Months one to three are the inflammatory and proliferative phase. The scar can look worse at three months than at three weeks: redder, thicker, sometimes bumpy along the vertical limb. Blood flow to the area is high and collagen is being laid down quickly and somewhat chaotically. Itching and occasional sharp twinges are common as nerve endings reconnect.

Months three to six are when many scars plateau. The redness stops intensifying and the firmness begins to soften. This is also the window when hypertrophic scars declare themselves, a term for a scar that stays raised and thick but remains within the original wound edges.

From six to twelve months the remodeling accelerates. Collagen fibers reorganize along lines of tension, the blood vessels regress and the color drifts from pink toward pale. The NHS puts the fading process at up to two years for some scars, and Mayo Clinic gives one to two years for breast lift scars specifically.

By 12 to 24 months the scar is considered mature: flat or nearly flat, pale or slightly pigmented, and unlikely to change much further on its own. Widening, if it happens, tends to be established by now, particularly where the vertical scar meets the crease.

Two practical points follow. First, judging the final result before a year has passed is premature. Second, most non-surgical scar treatments are most useful in the first year while the scar is still active; a surgeon may offer revision options for a mature scar that has widened, but that is a separate conversation for later.

Sleeping after breast lift surgery: positions, pillows and why it matters for scars

Sleep is the part of recovery nobody prepares you for. The body wants to roll onto its side or stomach, and every incision objects.

Back sleeping is the standard advice from surgical teams in the early weeks, and the reasoning is mechanical. Lying on your side lets one breast fall toward the other, pulling on the vertical and areolar scars and compressing fresh tissue. Stomach sleeping presses directly on the incisions and on tissue whose blood supply is still recovering. Neither is likely to undo the surgery, but both increase discomfort, swelling and the tension that encourages scars to widen.

A slight incline helps. Propping the upper body on two or three pillows, or using a wedge, reduces swelling by letting fluid drain downward and makes it easier to get up without using the chest muscles. Many people find a pillow under each arm stops them rolling in the night. The support bra generally stays on for sleep during this stage; Mayo Clinic describes round-the-clock wear initially.

How long? Teams commonly ask for back sleeping for several weeks, roughly the same period the NHS gives for avoiding strenuous activity, but this is an instruction that varies, so ask for your own timeline. Once cleared for side sleeping, a soft pillow between the breasts and the mattress can ease the transition.

Sleep quality itself is worth protecting. Healing tissue does its repair work overnight, and poor sleep worsens the perception of pain. Keeping the bedroom cool, limiting caffeine and asking your team about pain control before bed are reasonable steps. If pain wakes you repeatedly or one side feels newly tense and swollen in the night, that belongs on the red-flag list below rather than in the pillow conversation.

Sports bra after breast lift: what to look for, and when to switch

The right bra does two jobs after a lift: it holds the breasts so gravity does not tug on the incisions, and it applies gentle compression that limits swelling. The wrong bra does the opposite, rubbing seams over scars or pressing wire into the crease incision.

In the first weeks, teams usually provide or specify a surgical support bra. When you graduate to your own, the features that matter are consistent. Look for a front closure, so you are not reaching behind your back with a stiff chest; soft, wide straps; a smooth inner surface with no seams running along the vertical scar or the fold; and a wide underband that sits below the crease rather than on it. No underwire is the near-universal instruction while the crease scar is healing, because a wire lies exactly where an anchor incision runs.

Compression should feel firm, not tight. A bra that leaves deep marks, restricts breathing or forces the breasts down is doing harm rather than support. Mayo Clinic describes a soft support bra for roughly three to four weeks after the initial surgical garment; many people continue longer for comfort during exercise.

Return to sport is gradual. Walking is encouraged early because it lowers clot risk. Running, jumping and upper-body weights, which bounce or load the chest, are generally deferred until the team clears them, often around the four-to-six-week mark that the NHS gives for strenuous activity. When you restart, a high-impact sports bra with encapsulated cups (one cup per breast rather than a single compression band) reduces bounce and shear on scars.

Underwire can usually return once the crease scar is flat and no longer tender, a judgment your team should make at follow-up rather than a date you pick from the calendar.

Sun protection: keeping breast lift scars pale long term

Fresh scar tissue is the most sun-sensitive skin on your body. It has fewer functioning pigment cells and thinner protective layers, so ultraviolet light does two unhelpful things: it triggers irregular pigment production in and around the scar, and it slows the collagen remodeling that makes the line fade.

The result is hyperpigmentation, a scar that turns brown or gray-brown and stays that way. It is the single most common reason people with otherwise good surgical results are unhappy at the two-year mark, and it is largely preventable. Deeper skin tones are more prone to it, but no skin type is exempt.

The standard advice is to keep the scars fully covered from sun for the first year, ideally the full maturation period. Clothing and swimwear that cover the incision lines are the most reliable barrier. Where fabric does not reach, a broad-spectrum sunscreen applied generously and reapplied regularly is the next line. The NHS recommends a sunscreen of at least SPF 30 with good UVA protection for exposed skin, reapplied every two hours and after swimming or sweating. Sunscreen goes on scars only once the wound is fully closed and the team has cleared skincare products.

Tanning beds carry the same risk and no benefit. Fake tan is generally acceptable on mature scars but can stain a fresh scar unevenly, so ask before using it.

One more detail people miss: sun exposure through thin, wet or light-colored fabric still reaches the skin. A white cotton shirt may let through a meaningful fraction of UV. For a beach day in the first summer after surgery, a rash vest or swimsuit with a higher neckline is a simpler solution than repeated sunscreen application to lines you cannot easily see.

Scar care that has evidence behind it, and scar care that does not

The scar-care aisle is long and the evidence behind it is short. Here is where things genuinely stand.

Silicone gel sheets and silicone gels have the most consistent support. They are thought to work by keeping the scar hydrated and slightly occluded, which appears to calm the overactive collagen production that leads to raised scars. The NHS lists silicone gel or sheets among options for improving the appearance of scars, particularly raised ones. The evidence is moderate rather than strong: reviews find benefit for preventing and softening hypertrophic scars, with less certainty about final color. Silicone is usually started once the wound has fully closed and used for months, following the surgical team’s instructions.

Pressure and taping have a plausible mechanism, reducing tension on the healing line, and paper tape along a scar is commonly recommended by surgeons for that reason. Formal evidence is limited but the intervention is low-risk.

Scar massage is widely advised and many people find it softens firmness and reduces tightness. High-quality evidence is thin. It is unlikely to harm a fully healed scar when done gently, but it should not begin until the team confirms the wound is closed and stable.

Vitamin E oil is the most popular remedy with the least support; studies have not shown benefit and it causes contact dermatitis in a proportion of users. Cocoa butter, essential oils and the various “scar-erasing” creams have no reliable evidence for changing scar outcome beyond moisturizing.

For scars that stay raised or thick, the NHS describes steroid injections, laser treatment and, for mature widened scars, surgical revision as options a specialist may discuss. None of these is a self-directed choice; all sit with the treating team.

Keloids, hypertrophic scars and skin tone: who is more likely to scar heavily

Two kinds of problematic scars get confused, and the distinction matters for what happens next.

A hypertrophic scar is raised and thick but stays within the boundary of the original incision. It tends to develop in the first few months, often peaks around six months and then slowly improves over a year or two, sometimes on its own, sometimes with silicone or steroid injections.

A keloid is different. It grows beyond the original wound edges into surrounding skin, often continues enlarging for months or years, and can be itchy or painful. MedlinePlus notes keloids are more common in people with darker skin and that they can occur after surgery. The chest and shoulders are among the body areas most prone to them, which is relevant because the vertical limb of a lift scar runs across the lower chest.

Who is at higher risk? Personal or family history of keloids is the strongest predictor. Deeper skin tones, younger age and wounds under tension all add to it. Someone who formed a keloid after a piercing, acne or a previous operation should raise this before surgery, because it may change the surgeon’s advice about technique, closure and early scar treatment. Mayo Clinic lists poor scarring and asymmetry among the recognized risks of breast lift.

Skin tone also influences color outcomes without keloids. Lighter skin tends toward pink or red scars that fade to pale; medium and deeper tones more often develop hyperpigmentation, especially with sun exposure or friction. The steps that reduce these risks are the unglamorous ones already described: minimizing tension, supporting the breasts, covering scars from the sun and beginning any scar treatment early rather than waiting to see.

Keloid treatment is specialist territory. Options may include steroid injections, silicone, pressure, cryotherapy or laser, sometimes in combination; surgical removal alone has a high recurrence rate, so revision is planned carefully.

Can breasts sag again after a lift?

Yes, to some degree, and honesty about this is part of good consent. Mayo Clinic states plainly that breast lift results are not permanent: over time, skin loses elasticity and gravity does its work, and the breasts may sag again. The lift resets the position; it does not stop the clock.

Several factors determine how long the result holds. Larger, heavier breasts drop faster than smaller ones, simply because more weight pulls on the same skin. Significant weight gain or loss stretches or deflates the envelope. Pregnancy and breastfeeding change breast volume in both directions, which is why surgeons ask about family plans before operating. Smoking and heavy sun exposure both degrade skin elasticity.

Skin quality at the outset matters as much as anything. Skin with stretch marks or that has been repeatedly stretched has lost some of its elastic fibers permanently, and the lift relies on that skin to hold its new shape.

What people notice over the years is usually a gradual settling rather than a return to the starting point. The upper pole may lose some fullness while the nipple position, which is anchored by the internal reshaping, often holds better than the skin below it. This is sometimes called “bottoming out” when the lower breast descends beneath a nipple that stays put.

Wearing a supportive bra, especially during exercise, keeping weight stable and protecting skin from sun are the modifiable factors. None guarantees anything. If sagging recurs to a degree that bothers you, a repeat lift is possible, though each operation adds scar tissue and the surgeon will weigh that carefully.

The realistic frame is a result measured in years, influenced by biology you cannot control and habits you partly can.

What people often get wrong about breast lift scars

Myth: the scars will vanish. They will not. They fade, often to the point of being hard to find, but a scar is permanent tissue. Anyone promising invisible scars is selling something.

Myth: a lift makes breasts bigger. A mastopexy repositions and reshapes; it does not add volume, and by removing skin it can make the breasts look slightly smaller. The NHS is explicit that a lift does not increase size. Fullness requires an implant or fat transfer, separate procedures with separate risks.

Myth: the smaller the scar, the better the surgeon. The scar pattern is dictated by how much skin needs to come out. A surgeon who chooses a donut lift for someone who needs an anchor will leave a short scar and a disappointing shape, often with a flattened breast and a stretched areola.

Myth: vitamin E heals scars. Studies have not shown benefit, and a proportion of users develop an itchy rash that can worsen the scar. Silicone has the better evidence, as discussed above.

Myth: scars look their worst right after surgery. In fact, many look worst at two to four months, when they are reddest and thickest. Judging the outcome at this stage is like reviewing a cake while it is still in the oven.

Myth: once healed, sun no longer matters. Scars remain more sun-sensitive than surrounding skin for at least a year and pigment changes acquired in that window can be permanent.

Myth: a lift lasts forever. Mayo Clinic notes results are not permanent and that aging, gravity and weight change can bring sagging back.

Myth: if the breasts look uneven at three weeks, something has gone wrong. Swelling settles at different rates on each side; asymmetry in the early weeks is common and usually resolves. Persistent asymmetry after full healing is worth discussing, but early differences rarely predict it.

Questions to ask your care team before and after mastopexy

The most useful conversations happen before the operation, when the incision pattern is still a choice, and at each follow-up, when the scar’s behavior can be read and acted on. These questions tend to produce the clearest answers.

Before surgery, ask which incision pattern you are likely to need and why, and what shape compromise a shorter scar would involve. Ask where exactly the scars will sit relative to a bra line and a swimsuit. Ask how the surgeon manages tension on the closure, and whether your skin quality or any history of keloids changes the plan. Ask what happens to nipple sensation and future breastfeeding in your case, since Mayo Clinic lists both as possible complications.

Ask about the recovery instructions specific to this team: how long to wear the surgical bra, when a sports bra is acceptable, when underwire can return, how long to sleep on your back, and when you can start silicone, tape or massage. Protocols differ, and the internet’s version may not match your surgeon’s.

Ask what is normal and what is not in the first weeks, so a firm lump of swelling or a patch of numbness does not send you into a panic at midnight. Ask how to reach the team out of hours.

After surgery, at follow-up, ask how the scars are maturing compared with what the team expects at that stage, whether any area is becoming hypertrophic, and whether early treatment would help. Ask when sun exposure to the scar area is acceptable and how to handle a planned beach holiday.

Later, at the year mark, ask whether the scars are mature and, if any have widened or darkened, what the options are and what the team would realistically expect from them. Every one of these decisions belongs to you and your surgeon together.

When to call your doctor after a breast lift

Most recovery worries are ordinary: itching, tightness, uneven swelling, patches of numbness, a scar that looks angrier at month two than at week two. Some signs are not ordinary and need a same-day call to the surgical team or, in a few cases, emergency care.

Call your team promptly if you notice spreading redness, increasing warmth or new swelling around an incision after the first few days; fever or chills; thick, cloudy or foul-smelling fluid from a wound; or an incision that opens, gapes or bleeds. These suggest infection or wound breakdown, both of which affect the final scar and respond best to early treatment.

Call urgently if one breast becomes suddenly larger, tighter, more painful or darkly bruised than the other, which can indicate bleeding collecting inside (a hematoma) and may need to be drained. Also call if the nipple or areola turns dusky purple, very pale or dark, or the skin over it blisters; the blood supply to repositioned tissue is limited and changes in color need assessment quickly.

Seek emergency help without waiting for the surgical team if you have chest pain, sudden shortness of breath, coughing up blood, or pain, swelling and warmth in one calf. Clots in the leg or lung are a recognized risk after any operation and are treated as emergencies.

Over the longer term, contact your team if a scar keeps growing beyond the original line, becomes increasingly itchy or painful, or if a lump appears in the breast that was not there before. Scar tissue and fat necrosis (firm areas where fat cells were damaged) can form lumps that are usually harmless, but any new breast lump should be examined rather than assumed.

When in doubt, call. Teams would far rather hear about a false alarm than a missed complication.

Frequently asked questions

Do breast lift scars go away completely?

No. Scars are permanent, but they usually fade from raised red lines to flat, pale ones over one to two years, according to Mayo Clinic and the NHS. How faint they become depends on incision pattern, skin tone, tension on the wound and sun exposure. Most people describe mature lift scars as visible on close inspection but easily covered by a bra or swimsuit.

What is a lollipop breast lift?

A lollipop lift is the vertical mastopexy pattern: an incision circling the areola plus a single line running down to the breast crease, resembling a lollipop on its stick. It suits moderate sagging and avoids the horizontal scar along the fold that an anchor lift adds. The vertical limb is typically the most visible part of the scar because it runs over exposed skin.

Can breasts sag again after a lift?

Yes, to some degree. Mayo Clinic states that breast lift results are not permanent because skin loses elasticity and gravity continues to act. Larger breasts, significant weight change, pregnancy, smoking and sun damage speed this up. Many people see gradual settling rather than a full return to the starting point, and a repeat lift is possible if sagging recurs.

Which breast lift has the least scarring?

The crescent and periareolar (donut) patterns leave the least scar, confined to the areola edge, but they only provide a small lift. Choosing a smaller incision than the degree of sagging requires often produces a flattened shape and a stretched areola. The right pattern is the one that matches your anatomy, decided with your surgeon rather than chosen for scar length alone.

How should I sleep after a breast lift?

On your back, slightly propped up, for the period your surgical team specifies, commonly several weeks. Back sleeping avoids pulling on the vertical and areolar scars and keeps pressure off healing tissue. Pillows under each arm help prevent rolling, and an incline reduces swelling. Side sleeping is usually reintroduced gradually once the team confirms the incisions are stable.

When can I wear a normal or underwired bra after mastopexy?

Mayo Clinic describes a surgical support bra for the first few days and then a soft support bra for about three to four weeks. Underwire generally waits until the crease scar is flat and no longer tender, because the wire sits exactly along an anchor incision. Your surgeon should make that call at follow-up rather than a fixed date.

Why did my breast lift scars turn dark after a year?

Darkening is usually hyperpigmentation, extra pigment produced by sun-exposed or irritated scar tissue, which is more common in medium and deeper skin tones. It can persist once established, which is why covering scars from sun during the first year matters. A specialist can assess whether treatments such as topical agents or laser are appropriate for a mature pigmented scar.

Do silicone sheets really help breast lift scars?

They have the most consistent evidence of any over-the-counter scar measure. The NHS lists silicone gel or sheets among options for improving raised scars, and reviews show moderate benefit for preventing and softening hypertrophic scars. Evidence for changing final color is weaker. Silicone is started only after the wound has fully closed and used for months under the team’s guidance.

Is it normal for scars to look worse at three months than at three weeks?

Yes. Scars typically peak in redness and thickness between two and four months as new blood vessels and collagen fill the site, then slowly flatten and fade over the following year. This is the expected arc of maturation. A scar that grows beyond the original line, becomes very painful or shows signs of infection is different and should be checked.

When should I worry about a breast lift scar or wound?

Contact your surgical team the same day for spreading redness, fever, cloudy or smelly discharge, an incision that opens, or one breast suddenly becoming much more swollen and painful than the other. A nipple turning dusky or very pale also needs urgent review. Chest pain, breathlessness or a swollen, painful calf require emergency care because they may signal a blood clot.

References

• NHS: Scars
• NHS: Sunscreen and sun safety
• MedlinePlus: Breast lift
• MedlinePlus: Keloids

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.