Before and after bilateral breast reduction in a 33-year-old woman. She always had large breasts, but after having children, they drooped significantly, with her nipples pointing to the floor.
A breast reduction removed some of her breast tissue but kept a proportional amount of tissue behind. Her breast tissue was rearranged and reshaped, and liposuction removed excess fat from her armpits and bra rolls.
After surgery, she noticed loss of her areola pigment, which is due to inflammation of the pigment cells called melanocytes. This is particularly common in patients with more skin pigment (melanin). The melanocytes get “lazy” and temporarily stop producing melanin. They usually recover and begin producing pigment again over several months to years after surgery.
Follow up photos are shown one year after surgery. Most of her areola pigment has recovered, and she is very pleased with her results! She has the option of a medical tattoo to fill in any missing areola pigment now that her scars are mature and soft.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
