The Use of Dermabrasion to Achieve Natural-Looking Areolas Following Breast Reduction or Mastopexy: A Study of 23 Patients

• Published in: Aesthetic plastic surgery Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 534 - 539
• Main Authors: Basaran, Karaca, Basat, Salih Onur, Mercan, Ebru Sen, Saydam, Funda Aköz, Aygit, Ahmet Cemal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-08-2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Dermabrasion; Female; Humans; Mammaplasty; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nipples; Original Article; Otorhinolaryngology; Plastic Surgery; Young Adult; Areola; Breast reduction; Dermabrasion; Mastopexy
• ISSN: 0364-216X; 1432-5241
• DOI: 10.1007/s00266-015-0521-9

Background
Although obtaining symmetrical breasts with good projection and a correctly positioned nipple–areola complex are the main objectives after breast reduction (BR) or mastopexy (MP), the importance of areola esthetics should not be underestimated. In this study, the authors discuss the use of dermabrasion for another purpose, which is to achieve a more natural areola with a smooth, natural border and depigmentation.
Methods
Twenty-three patients who had undergone BR surgery (18) or MP (5) between 2012 and 2014 were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 25.5 (range 19–43). Dermabrasion of the areola was performed using a diamond-type fraise to obtain a smooth transition from the border of the areola to the depigmented areola zones.
Results
The patients were followed up for 15 months on average (range 12–18 months). In a survey administered 1 year after surgery, the patients were asked to score their new areola on a scale of 0–10. The mean score was 8.6 (range 4–10). Three patients were re-operated due to the persistence of the sharp border due to insufficient dermabrasion. One patient had a hypertrophic scar and another had hyperpigmentation.
Conclusions
Satisfactory and a more natural areola can be obtained using dermabrasion with few complications in BR or MP patients. Therefore, this technique may be considered a complementary procedure for motivated and voluntary patients ready to accept the disadvantages of a secondary procedure.
Level of Evidence IV
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors
www.springer.com/00266
.