I want top surgery but i'm not a fan of scars and I want a way where I won't have to deal with severe scars, so are there any other ways to have top surgery and not have so much scarring when youre big chested?
I, too, worry and wonder about that myself. But for me, I feel like no one other than myself or my fiancé would even see my scars, I'd be okay with that. And I don't plan on going shirtless anywhere in public (even at a beach). I'd feel indecent.
There will be scarring since double incision will basically be your only option but they do heal quite well provided you take very good care of them in the first 6 weeks of very limited arm movement and with using scar tape. The scars will hopefully fade white soon and chest hair will mask the scars even further.
For example, this guy after DI surgery (1.5 years post-op I believe)
(https://41.media.tumblr.com/106eac5a7aacf8ac2c65e8860e805f2c/tumblr_mrwn9l7nXR1qbrxxvo1_500.jpg)
The problem is skin. At that size, you can either leave a ton of extra skin (that may defeat the point of top surgery), or have the scars. That's the purpose of the long incisions - it only takes a very small opening to get the insides out, but if you want to remove skin, you just gotta cut it off.
They're long incisions indeed, but like Marcel says they can end up pretty much invisible, so it's not hopeless. But it's difficult to determine what the likelihood is, how most scarring ends up in the long term, because very few people post pictures at 5, 10, 15 years post-op.
You can also get tattoos over the scars if need be.
There are zero other options for chests of B-D (well small B maybe). I like my scars a LOT better than I liked my chesticles, fwiw. The scars do decrease in darkness and so on.
--Jay
Sadly scars are just part of the deal. They do fade in time though. I don't know of any top surgery for heavier chested guys other than DI. I was a small-medium B and I had to get DI because of the skin.
There is the option, if years down the line one is not satisfied with how much the scars have faded, of laser treatment of surgical scars. I haven't heard of any trans men getting it done for top surgery scars (doesn't mean there aren't any, I just don't know of them), but you can Google results for scars from other surgical procedures. It's not cheap, though.
I would take a look at guys who are maybe 2 years plus after surgery. I have seen some who look like nothing was ever cut . These results are not the most popular from what I have seen. There are too many factors to safely say weather or not there will be scars forever. Such as :
- Surgeons cuts during surgery
- How you take care of your self after surgery
- How your body heals
Among other things. As for me all my scars heal white and sort of keloid so I know 100% I will have scars which I don't mind!
Good luck
Quote from: blink on October 20, 2014, 03:40:53 PM
There is the option, if years down the line one is not satisfied with how much the scars have faded, of laser treatment of surgical scars. I haven't heard of any trans men getting it done for top surgery scars (doesn't mean there aren't any, I just don't know of them), but you can Google results for scars from other surgical procedures. It's not cheap, though.
After my hypertrophic scars settle completely flat I plan to look into this option. I am one year out.
I had a DDD before my surgery and my scars are almost non existent. I mean, I DO have scars as DI is the only option for people who are/were my size, but they've faded quite a lot in 7 months. I personally did not use much scar cream, but using it might help? Honestly, I don't think people will notice it too much.
Quote from: Brett on October 22, 2014, 06:40:45 AM
After my hypertrophic scars settle completely flat I plan to look into this option. I am one year out.
If you get this done, would you consider posting the before/after results to the top surgery sticky? It would be informative for other guys who might consider the option.
I don't meant to change the topic, but does anyone know what size chest you need for the surgery that doesn't leave scars? Thanks.
Quote from: ScottyMac on October 22, 2014, 10:22:06 AM
I don't meant to change the topic, but does anyone know what size chest you need for the surgery that doesn't leave scars? Thanks.
A, small B. With good skin elasticity. Nipples should ideally already be where you want them after surgery and not bigger like you see on big chests. Usually you need a revision to trim them down afterwards.
Quote from: Alexthecat on October 22, 2014, 10:28:22 AM
A, small B. With good skin elasticity. Nipples should ideally already be where you want them after surgery and not bigger like you see on big chests. Usually you need a revision to trim them down afterwards.
Well in that case, DI is my only option even though I have a B cup. :'(
I know several guys who transitioned around the same time as me and had surgery around the same time as me. Several have nicely faded scars that kind of blend in to their pec line; another has a nice hairy chest that hides what's left of his scars. Mine have faded, but to me are still prominent, and I don't have much chest hair to speak of (belly hair, yes). My scars are also wavy and not just a straight or curved line; not sure why but they've been that way since day 1 and I went to a top surgeon (Brownstein). I've seen a few pics of other guys with my weird scar line, but not many.
I wish mine would fade. Next year I'm going to try to get a dark tan and see if that helps.
FWIW I had a B/C cup.
Jay
Quote from: blink on October 22, 2014, 10:08:24 AM
If you get this done, would you consider posting the before/after results to the top surgery sticky? It would be informative for other guys who might consider the option.
Yes, I actually have written about my journey of dealing with these scars throughout the top surgery recovery thread (the sticky in the top surgery forum). There are a lot of pictures. I started the thread and you can see it get worse throughout. I just hit my one year and should have taken a picture and posted, but at this point there is no change from the last update (9 or 10 months, can't remember). It took me a long time to figure out what I had/long time to know I had a problem (I had nothing to compare it to, and no follow up appointments because I had Garramone), and even longer to comes to terms with it. It is still upsetting, but less than it was. It is hard though to have taken such care with my scars, obsessively using scar gel and not lifting, stretching too much, etc., and yet see other guys' scars so thin and white. Luck of the draw, I guess. The scars will be wide and obvious for a long time.
Is this something you are concerned about (just curious)? Just for information sake, hypertrophic scars are not hereditary as I have heard some folks say. They just happen. Only keloid scars are hereditary.
Quote from: Brett on October 23, 2014, 06:40:26 AM
Yes, I actually have written about my journey of dealing with these scars throughout the top surgery recovery thread (the sticky in the top surgery forum). There are a lot of pictures. I started the thread and you can see it get worse throughout. I just hit my one year and should have taken a picture and posted, but at this point there is no change from the last update (9 or 10 months, can't remember). It took me a long time to figure out what I had/long time to know I had a problem (I had nothing to compare it to, and no follow up appointments because I had Garramone), and even longer to comes to terms with it. It is still upsetting, but less than it was. It is hard though to have taken such care with my scars, obsessively using scar gel and not lifting, stretching too much, etc., and yet see other guys' scars so thin and white. Luck of the draw, I guess. The scars will be wide and obvious for a long time.
Is this something you are concerned about (just curious)? Just for information sake, hypertrophic scars are not hereditary as I have heard some folks say. They just happen. Only keloid scars are hereditary.
Ah, cool. Thanks for doing that, it's bound to be helpful to others. That's why I asked.
As for me, if I struck it rich I could see going for laser scar treatment, but it's not a priority.