Breast Implants: Q&A
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Do Breast Implants Cause Stretch Marks?
Do breast implants cause stretch marks because of the skin stretching? Is there any way to tell ahead of time if you are likely to have stretch marks from getting breast implants?
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39 Doctor Answers |
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anon
+6
Do implants casuse streach marks? It depends
Yes, Breast implant can cause stretch marks. It depends how big the implants were and how resilient your tissues were to accommodate the quick expansion of the volume.
Good Luck
+6
Breast implants can cause stretch marks in some women
Stretch marks can be caused by implants. I published an article about this. We looked at the numbers of women who got stretch marks and what some of the causes were.
Out of about 2000 patients, I have seen 27 women get stretch marks. Only a handful were severe, and most were mild to moderate with just some faint redness for 3 months and then fading to white, and hardly noticeable.
The factors that were involved were:
1. Placement of the implant (on top of the muscle seems to be...
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+6
Stretch marks after breast augmentation
I've actually seen fine, pink stretch marks develop after breast augmentation.
The patient was a very light complected woman who had never had pregnancy or weight fluctuations. We agreed upon a saline, moderate profile 375cc implant and the surgery went uneventfully.
She first noticed the pink stretch marks about a month post-op and asked me whether I'd ever seen them, which I hadn't.
After talking with some colleagues across the country, it seems that other patients who had similar...
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Stretch marks with augmentation
Sadly, I have seen it. The good news is that it is rare. I perform hundreds of breast augmentations per year and in 8 years practice have only seen it twice. Both times it occurred in younger women who have not had children or breast fed. The implants were not very large- between 300-400 cc. They started several weeks after surgery and seem to be improving with time and retin-A cream. The vast majority of my patients do not get them...
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+3
Breast Implants and Stretch Marks
It is extremely unusual to get stretch marks from breast augmentation.
I remains possible, however.
Things that would raise your risk factors would include:
an exceptionally large augmentation.
A history of stretch marks
Stretch marks (striae) are actually tears within the dermis (a deeper layer of your skin). They can occur when tissue elasticity cannot keep up with the physical stretch on the skin. They are problematic because there are not good ways to fix them once they occur.
I hope...
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+3
Despite the sudden change in breast volume, stretch marks are uncommon following breast augmentation
Stretch marks (known medically as striae) are visible scars within the skin heighted by an alteration in the skin's pigment creating a color change. Stretch marks are caused by a tearing of the dermis and are the result of rapid stretching of the skin seen with rapid growth. This occurs most commonly during puberty, pregnancy or weight gain. Despite the sudden change in breast volume, intuitively you would think that this would be a common problem following breast augmentation. However, I...
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Englewood Plastic Surgeon
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Breast Implants and Stretch Marks
When a young woman has very little natural breast tissue, and very tight skin the risk is increased for stretch marks following breast augmentation surgery. In my North Carolina plastic surgery practice I use breast implants of a conservative size to provide a natural looking result from breast augmentation.
There is a much higher likelihood that a woman with very large implants rather than implants of a conservative size will experience stretch marks. Additionally, large breast implants...
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Implants, especially large implants can cause stretch marks
The formation of stretch marks is not totally predictable.
Large weight gains, especially over a short period of time, can cause extensive stretch marks (think pregnancy).
Large breast implants are more prone to causing stretch marks than smaller implants.
There is no guarantee what size of implants will cause stretch marks, since there are many variables such as genetics that factor in.
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Breast Implants and Sagging
Stretch marks are caused by a loss of balance between skin resiliency and skin stretch. Breast implants may make stretch marks appear more visible in some cases if the skin is stretched far beyond is resilient capacity.
If you are concerned about stretch marks, you may consider moisturizing your skin consistently before surgery and in the immediate postoperative period. Our office recommends an Omega Intensive Cream that we routinely prescribe in our office. This complements the natural...
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Breast Augmentation Rarely Cause Stretch Marks
Although it would make sense that stretching the skin would cause stretch marks (striae), in fact I have not seen this in my more than 25 yrs of practice and experience with thousands of breast augmentation patients. This however has been reported so is a very uncommon to rare occurrence. What I have seen however is existing white stretch marks become pink for several months afterwards and then fade.
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Implants Causing Stretch Marks
In general, unless you have excessively sized implants the breast implants do not cause stretch marks from pregnancy or growth.
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Stretch Marks Uncommon from Breast Implants
The most likely women to get stretch marks after breast implants are young (usually under 21), and have very firm tight skin of the breasts. if the implant is very large and the skin is very tight, rapid expansion with placement of an implant will be more likely to result in stretch marks. placeing the implant under the muscle can be protective and reduce the stress on the skin to some degree. if you think about stretch marks as "cracks" in the deep and firm...
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Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon
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Breast Implants and Stretch Marks
It is possible for breast implants to cause stretch marks due to skin stretching but unlikely. Stretch marks occur with growth or expansion over the course of time. Although breast implantation is performed immediately in the OR, accommodation of your skin to the increased size of your breast due to overly large implants can produce stretch marks. Genetic predisposition to stretch marks, the use of very large implants, and skin quality issues increase the likelihood of stretch marks...
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Breat implants unlikely to cause stretch marks.
Stretch marks are actually scars in the dermis. Usually the skin stretches foo fast, and/or the skin resiliency will not allow the skin to stretch beyond a certain point. Some predisposing factors may be; Very large breast implants especially in a very young patient, (skin has not been stretched by pregnancy, etc). Poor quality of skin. Genetic predilection to stretch marks. On the whole, it is very unlikely that placement of implants will cause...
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Breast implants can cause stretch marks
Stretch marks are essentially a tear in the skin. You can get stretch marks from breast implants when you are young with thicker skin, and the skin needs to stretch quickly to accomodate a new implant. This is NOT common, but is a risk. If you got stretch marks on your thighs when growing, or have bad stretch marks from a pregnancy, those are indicators you might be at higher risk. And yes, size is a factor. The bigger you go with your breast implants, the more you stretch your skin.
In...
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Breast implants can rarely cause stretch marks
The vast majority of patients do not get stretch marks after breast augmentation. That being said, in rare circumstances, I have seen stretch marks develop after breast augmentation. The risk factors are patients with pre-existing stretch marks elsewhere in their body and very large implants that stretch the skin envelope beyond its normal capacity.
I have seen 2 patients develop mild stretch marks which were cosmetically acceptable. Neither patient regretted having had breast...
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Breast Implants and stretch marks
The occurrence of stretch marks after breast augmentation is rare. It may be more likely to occur in younger patients, patients with pre-existing stretch marks, and those seeking very large implants.
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Breast implants do not commonly cause stretch marks
Anytime your skin is rapidly stretched, beyond its limits, stretch marks may result. However, they do not commonly result after breast augmentation. Most stretch marks that are seen after breast implants are usually stretch marks that were already there to begin with, but since the skin was not stretched out, they were not as easily visible.
Most young women getting breast implants have youthful, elastic skin, that tolerates stretching without developing stretch marks. More mature women...
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+2
Breast Implants don't usually cause stretch marks
This answer seems obvious but it is in fact very rare to have breast augmentation cause breast stretch marks.
In those individuals who do not have stretch marks, I am not aware of implants causing stretch marks in well over a thousand patients.
However, In those individuals with pre-existing stretch marks, I have seen two responses:
In the vast majority, the stretch marks are pulled and stretched and appear less noticeable.
In a very small number of patients (3) I have seen the marks...
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Generally speaking, breast implants do not cause stretch marks.
Although most patients who undergo breast augmentation do not experience any stretch marks or striae, some can. A person usually develops stretch marks or tears in the dermis during periods of rapid growth in the presence of high circulating hormontes (steroids), for example, during puberty or pregnancy. If one's skin envelope is quite tight and desires a large augmentation, this type of patient could potentially suffer from some stretch marks, depending on their genetics. These stretch...
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Once in Hundreds of Patients
GinaC in Chicago:
In over 20 years of practice, and 100's of breast augmentations, I have only been aware of one patient who developed stretch marks. Of course, this is not a statistically valid study, but I thought you would want to know something specific.
I agree with other comments that very large implants would be more likely to cause this. I think your skin and deeper tissues are the main determinates. I doubt that you can use a product that will prevent stretch marks. If you had...
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A persons genetic makeup determines whether they are prone to stretch marks.
The best indication as to how an incision will heal ( whether it will leave a "bad" or thick "keloid" scar) is how a patient has healed before. That is the scarring is dependent on the persons genetic makeup. The same is true for stretch marks. Some women are prone to stretch marks - they have them even though they were never heavy or even had children. Other women have gained and lost weight or had large babies and do not have stretch marks. Immediately after...
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Typically not.
Breast implants are not typically of the size that would cause stretch marks. However, if you were to choose an unusually large implant (>450cc) than occasionally some people will get stretch marks on the sides of their breast. A smaller implant is a safer longer lasting choice for many reasons. You can also massage your breast skin with cocoa butter, or any moisturizer really, twice a day after your implants are placed if your surgeon agrees.
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They can but not always.
Hello,
This depends upon the nature of your skin and the implant size you have placed. Larger implants in thinner-skinned women stretch more. Most women with mid-sized implants do not form new stretch marks.
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Stretch marks and breast implants
It is very possible to get stretch marks after having breast implants. It is very difficult to predict. However, if you are prone to stretch marks as you may have seen from pregnancy or weight change, than you are probbaly more likely to get them.
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Anything that stretches the skin can cause stretch marks
Gina,
Stretch marks can be caused by anything that stretches the skin. So, they can indeed be caused by breast augmentation. This is of course dependent on the size of the implants you have placed, the amount of swelling from the surgery, the tightness of your skin and your skin genetics.
A good indicator as to whether you would develop them is if you have had any conditions that stretched your skin, such as pregnancy, significant weight gain or loss, muscle development from weight...
more
+2
Amazingly breast implants very infrequently cause stretch marks.
Having done thousands of breast implants using both silicone gel and saline filled placed behind the breast and behind the muscle, I have seen only occasional small stretch marks develop. The one exception that I have found is with women with what are known as tuberous or snoopy dog breast. These breast have very narrow bases and have a tuberous shape.
In my hands, these breast are best treated with peri areolar incisions (around the colored portion of the nipple areolar complex) and...
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+2
Breast augmentation doesn't usually cause stretch marks
The simple answer to this question is that it depends on the quality of the breast skin present and the size of the implant used.
With very large implants there is a larger chance of causing stretch marks. Larger implants can cause damage to breast tissue with long lasting implications. Depending on tissue quality some ladies are going to be more apt to developing stretch marks. Most breast enhancement patients do not end up with stretch marks.
How can you tell? Ask your surgeon about...
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+2
Yes, breast augmentation can cause stretch marks
The skin has a limited ability to accommodate or stretch. If it is stretched too much, too fast, stretch marks will result. So it is not really the implants causing stretch marks, but rather choosing implants that are too large for your body to accept.
There is no way to guarantee how your skin will react to being stretched, so it is a bit of a gamble. That being said, "reasonable" augmentations generally do not result in stretch marks, but if you are trying to go "really...
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Breast Implants can cause stretch marks
Breast augmentation in a breast which has lost volume and has loose skin, perhaps due to prior pregnancy, will accommodate an implant that simply replaces the missing volume without significant risk of stretch marks.
Augmentation in a nulliparous (never having given birth) patient does carry increased risk of stretch marks. This risk is greater if the skin envelope is tight, if the size of the implant is relatively large, and is greater if stretch marks have occured elsewhere in the skin...
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Yes, No and It depends on your type of skin
Dear GinaC,
The stretching of the virgin skin with implants can produce significant stretch marks (which are actual dermal scars and permanent) if: The size selected is too large for the chest wall, the surgical pocket is too small, the prosthesis is too high profile, the original breast volume is minimal or if you're predisposed to having stretch marks - look at your belly, arms or thighs - if they are there they'll also be in your breasts.
If you didnt' get stretch marks during pregnancy...
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Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon
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Do Breast Implants Cause Stretch Marks
Thankfully, the answer to this question is “extremely unlikely,” but there are some factors patients need to understand that can affect their risks for stretch marks.
I have performed many hundreds of breast augmentations using all types and sizes of breast implants for Scottsdale and Phoenix women and I can only remember 2 or 3 patients ever developing significant stretch marks as a direct result of surgery. Therefore, stretch marks are not a complication I usually worry about...
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+1
Implants and stretch marks
It would be extremely rare for implants to cause stretch marks - only if the implant size was extremely larger than your skin can tolerate. More commonly, however, breast augmentation improves the appearance of stretch marks as your breast appears fuller.
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Breast Implants and Stretch Marks
It is very unusual to develop stretch marks after a breast augmentation. In fact, the only patients I have seen who developed this problem are less than 20 years of age.
For that reason, I specifically warn patients in the 18-20 year old age group that this may be a problem. This age group represents a very small subset of patients who undergo breast augmentation, so the majority of patients will not have to be concerned about this problem.
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In my experience breast implants will not cause any new stretch marks.
In my experience breast implants will not cause any new stretch marks. The ones I have seen after augmentation already existed before the operation.
The cause of stretch marks is usually related to a dermal injury from increase stretch on the elastic and collagen bundles of the skin. This is usually seen in the abdominal skin following multiple child birth. Even in these cases, genetic predisposition is an important factor.
The general recommendation is not to choose a very large implant....
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+1
Breast implants very rarely cause stretch marks
To GinaC,
Hi. I have only seen stretch marks when VERY large implants were used, especially if they were placed over the muscle. But, I would reassure you because this is quite rare.
If you have a lot of stretch marks in other parts of your body, then you may be more likely to get them on your breasts.
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Implants may cause stretch marks, but it is uncommon
Gina,
The possibility of developing stretch marks after surgery is really a matter of your skin quality. If you have other marks from weight changes or pregnancy, you may develop marks after an augmentation. If you are young, and your skin quality is good, it is unlikely. By placing the implant under the muscle, and not going too large on the size of the implant, you reduce your risk.
There is no sure way to predict if stretch marks will occur post-op. We recommend moisturizing creams in...
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+1
Sometimes breast implants can cause stretch marks!
Breast implants can definitely cause stretch marks on the breast in some people after cosmetic augmentation. It is very hard to tell who will develop them and who will not, but with that being said, an overwhelming majority of women do NOT develop stretch marks from a routine breast augmentation.
Stretch marks can occur in cases when a women is very small breasted and goes with very large implants, however this can occur even after a modest breast augmentation. In addition, if your skin is...
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+1
Breast implants don't cause stretch marks in my experience
You would logically think that rapid dramatic stretching of the breasts with the introduction of an implant would cause lots of problems with stretch marks. However, over 20+ years of doing this operation, I cannot remember any patients who have had this develop. The only ones with stretch marks after surgery had all of them before surgery.
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