Tips for Caring for Your Skin After Breast Cancer Surgery

While breast cancer surgery, such as a lumpectomy or mastectomy, is often quite routine, the healing process afterward depends entirely on the individual.

We’ve asked a leading dermatologist, a wound care specialist, and a breast surgeon to share their skin care tips. Read on to learn more about this important part of thriving after surgery.

Let Your Body Heal

To protect your skin post-surgery, make it a goal to avoid any lifting, pushing, and pulling for several weeks, says Donna Hart, MD, a dermatologist in Austin, Texas, who was diagnosed with breast cancer herself.

The more you move, the more likely you’ll have problems with your drains, “the narrow tubes placed in the chest and underarm that allow accumulated fluid to escape following surgery,” Dr. Hart says.

“These gels help the scar soften, since scar tissue can often be quite firm,” she says.

“There are also emollients you can use to avoid radiation dermatitis and treat post-radiation burns,” Hart says.

Keep an Eye on Your Skin

Whether you’ve had a lumpectomy, a mastectomy, or even a biopsy, healing issues may arise, says Harold Brem, MD, a professor of surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and chief of the division of wound healing and regenerative medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

This may be because you had radiation, you’re prone to infection, or have an antibody disorder you may not know you have.

“With necrosis, you want to look out for skin tenderness that tends to be black or red, but in a person of dark skin that might look like a purple change in color,” Dr. Brem says. “Always compare these changes to the other breast.”

Act quickly. Be sure to send photos of the skin to your surgeon and, if necessary, book an appointment with them so they can see the area in question.

While breasts are “favorable” to good wound healing, Brem cautions that there can be issues related to the moisture that pools in the underside or lower part of the breast against the chest wall — which can lead to fungus.

“If you’ve been put on antibiotics after surgery, this can predispose you to antibiotic resistance,” he says.

Luckily, there are treatments that can assist with wound healing. Brem notes these include topicals such as MediHoney, a gel wound and burn dressing, and Iodosorb, an antimicrobial gel.

Other options include FlexHD Structural, a biologic derived from human tissue, and collagen treatments that support new blood vessel formation and the removal of damaged tissue from a wound.

There’s even the possibility of receiving allograft tissue, which is tissue transplanted from one person to another, to help you heal.

The quicker you report any wound issue, the better your results. This may mean you’ll need to consult with a specialist, depending on how complicated the issue is.

“You want to be sure to see someone who sees a lot of wound issues,” Brem says. “Most gifted plastic surgeons probably don’t see a lot of complicated wound healing issues, so you want to find the best person to help you — as fast as possible.”

Breast Reconstruction Care

To treat the skin itself, Lisa Schneider, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City who specializes in complex reconstructive and aesthetic procedures, including lymphedema and breast surgery, urges waiting several months before applying any topical product on your incisions.

“I always tell my patients to treat that skin like a baby,” Dr. Schneider says. “Avoid any perfumes, dyes, or anything irritating. You wouldn’t want to do anything involving a peel or a scrub on that skin for sure.”

To protect the skin near your drains, pad the area around them to avoid any pulling and tugging or pressure sores from the drain tubing compressing the skin.

“I send my patients home in a surgical bra with a pocket for their drains, and you can also pin your drains to your clothing,” she says. In addition, keep the skin as dry as possible and consider tucking a square of a clean cotton T-shirt around the entry point for your drains for further comfort and to help avoid irritation.

“The skin is very sensitive after breast surgery,” she says. “You want to make it a goal to treat the entire area as gently as possible.”

Known as capsular contracture, this occurs when the scar tissue capsule around the implant hardens.

“This then causes the skin and scar to tighten around the implant. When you don’t have healthy living tissue underneath you will always be fighting the tendency of the skin to contract and harden,” says Schneider.

The Takeaway

• Skin care after breast cancer surgery is essential. Petroleum jelly and some silicone gels can aid in healing (with the permission of your surgeon), but avoid potential irritants, like perfumed products or antibacterial ointments, which can cause allergic reactions.
• Monitor your skin closely for unusual changes after surgery, especially potential infections or necrosis. Seek medical advice immediately to address any complications.
• Advanced treatment options, such as topicals like MediHoney, are available for wound healing complications. Talking to a healthcare provider with significant experience in treating wound-related issues is the best first step.
• In the months to years after reconstruction, keep an eye out for signs of capsular contracture (thickening of the skin around an implant). It can cause discomfort but can be corrected.