Breast Implant Removal and Associated Scars: Insights from Chrissy Teigen's Experience
Over a month since undergoing breast implant removal surgery, model and social media enthusiast Chrissy Teigen has persistently shared unreserved photos and reflections about the process with her social media followers. In a recent clip posted on her Instagram Story, she remarks, “A few of my friends constantly have to tell people that I truly got my implants out, because no one believes it. These are the scars.”
As per plastic surgeons (who did not treat Teigen), the vertical marks Teigen displayed beneath her areolas are standard breast lift scars, which might suggest that Teigen's surgeon carried out a breast lift along with the breast implant removal, although the celebrity did not specifically disclose this.
What Do Breast Lift Scars Resemble?
“These [vertical scars] are mastopexy scars,” states Dr. Melissa Doft, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City (not Teigen’s doctor), and she indicates that performing a breast lift concurrently with implant removal is by no means uncommon. The placement of implants stretches the skin around the breasts, and when they are taken out, the skin is naturally left more droopy. “If you have very small implants and were of small breast size initially, and you did not undergo any life alterations, such as pregnancy or significant weight loss, then at times you can merely extract the implants. You might have a bit of droopiness, but it will appear relatively natural,” Dr. Doft elucidates.
“But for individuals who had larger breasts to commence with or had larger implants, you have essentially created this stretch on the breast tissue, so subsequently the breast tissue is left with a considerable amount of what we term ptosis, or droopiness.” Bearing this in mind, numerous patients, particularly those who no longer possess youthful breast tissue, have their implants removed and choose a breast lift simultaneously, to address some of the excessive skin and fashion a more attractive shape. “A lift not only eliminates the surplus skin but also provides the surgeon with an opportunity to effectively reconfigure the breasts to achieve a charming curve,” adds Dr. Doft.
Adding a breast lift prolongs the surgery, yet there is no additional pain or recovery period. “It is actually more painful to have your implant inserted because the majority of surgeons in the United States will position them beneath the muscle—and by doing so, you are essentially creating this cavity that did not exist previously, and you are stretching it and generating a lot of pressure,” Dr. Doft explains. “But removing them is a relatively painless operation, and even undertaking the breast lift is not very painful, so most individuals will take pain medication for two to three days and remain at home for approximately five days.”
What Do Breast Implant Removal Scars Appear Like?
Just as the implants can be inserted through several methods—through the belly button, through the armpits, and most frequently, from beneath the breasts or from the areola—they are typically removed in the same manner.
“Probably the most prevalent [way to remove implants] is to do it beneath the breast. It’s usually a four- to four-and-a-half-centimeter incision beneath the breast, resulting in a smaller scar and not a vertical scar,” says Dr. Doft. “It would be rather unusual to create that vertical scar merely to insert or extract an implant. You only make that scar if you’re also conducting some type of lift or removing some of the slackness of the skin.” The surgeon does note, however, that during a breast lift, implants can be removed via the vertical incision.
