How to take care of incisions?

[makipu]

I was wondering if this depends on your particular surgeon's directions but I keep reading about applying tapes for the incisions/scars. When does this happen exactly, after the chest reveal?  I was only told to put antibiotic ointment and telfa pads on the nipples and then the ace bandage.  Am I missing something here?

Another question is, how does it feel to take a shower (water running down the chest area)

I wish I could post pictures about my other specific questions but I don't feel comfortable as I am stealth all the way...

[Alexthecat]

After the bandages and drains come out after a week there should already be some tape on the incisions. It will come off slowly, don't pick at it. Should take weeks to come off. By the time it came off I started with scar strips I believe, the wound was healed on the outside by then.

Don't let the water pressure hit your chest. You can go in backwards and gently let water run to get the soap off, don't scrub it either. If there is dye from the surgery you can gently wipe it off with a wash cloth. Don't over reach in the shower and take your time.

[JayDawg]

My surgeon peeled the incision tape off at my first follow-up visit 2 days after surgery. He told me to just put antibiotic on it every 12 hours, and keep the compression vest on all the time. After 2 weeks, I got the go-ahead to start using bioCorneum+ on the incisions every 12 hours, and I'm still doing that. He mostly does cosmetic surgery and it's what he recommends. I expect the 20g bottle to last me 3 months (through the end of March), and then I will just let the incisions alone. Though I will probably massage them with coconut oil every day into the foreseeable future.

I think it was 3 weeks before I let the water hit my chest directly.

You could post pics that don't show your face and then delete them the next day - seen lots of people do that here.

[Bimmer Guy]

I was wondering if this depends on your particular surgeon's directions but I keep reading about applying tapes for the incisions/scars. When does this happen exactly, after the chest reveal?  I was only told to put antibiotic ointment and telfa pads on the nipples and then the ace bandage.  Am I missing something here?

Another question is, how does it feel to take a shower (water running down the chest area)

I wish I could post pictures about my other specific questions but I don't feel comfortable as I am stealth all the way...

Every surgeon is different.  Do what they say.  If you want to change/add something from what they say you should do, simply make a phone call and ask.  Don't change your approach based on what other guy's surgeons told them to do.  They didn't operate you YOUR chest.  What jaydawg was told is completely different than what i was told.  Surgeons take the aftercare approach that fits their surgery approach.  You could make things worse by not following what your surgeon tells you to do.

[Kreuzfidel]

I was wondering if this depends on your particular surgeon's directions but I keep reading about applying tapes for the incisions/scars. When does this happen exactly, after the chest reveal?

The tape keeps the incision sealed and prevents the scars from stretching out.  My surgeon advised me to wear it for 3 months.

I was only told to put antibiotic ointment and telfa pads on the nipples and then the ace bandage.  Am I missing something here?

As has already been said, every surgeon is different. 

I didn't have to put antibiotic ointment on my incisions or nipples.  I only used the tape for 3 months, which I changed weekly, and the silver nipple dressings.

Another question is, how does it feel to take a shower (water running down the chest area)

It felt odd.  Like when you sit on your foot and it's numb but when you touch it after it starts to wake up...sort of like that.

[sam1234]

Its always wise to stick to the instructions that your surgeon gave you. There are so many different ways to do the surgery and your surgeon knows what he or she did and how to care for it. Be careful of any medications, even over the counter post op and check with your surgeon if you think you want to try something.

I don't know how common this is, but I had numb areas around the aereola for a long time. To this day, one side has a strange itch that appears occasionally from deep inside the tissue.

It also took a while for my nipples to respond to stimuli again. Be patient.

On the light side, for about six months post op, after the incisions had healed, every now and then a piece of internal suture would migrate out of the tissue. It never caused any problems, it was just kind of weird.

sam1234

[makipu]

It makes sense, I will ask first before I try anything...

When I took a shower I didn't even feel anything on the surgery site like I thought I was. I guess I can thank the numbness for that. 

[aleon515]

The pressure of the water can damage the nipples early on, whether or not you have feeling in them (which I didn't so much). It's not whether you would be in pain.

But I agree, I didn't feel the incision site so much, it's kind of odd but that's not at all where pain and/or discomfort are. You'd think so maybe but it's not the case.

--Jay

It makes sense, I will ask first before I try anything...

When I took a shower I didn't even feel anything on the surgery site like I thought I was. I guess I can thank the numbness for that.