How Do Breast Implants Look if You Have Stretch Marks Before You Get Them Done?

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.

Stretchmarks may develop with larger implants, genetic disposition and weight fluctuations.Stretch marks are permanent and can be improved with skin treatments, however these generally take many sessions to achieve any noticeable improvement. In addition, results are unpredictable.

Stretch marks represent damage to the collagen layer beneath the skin.  If you have stretch marks prior to breast augmentation the increased size of your breast will make your stretch marks more noticable.

Dr. ES

Stretch marks are tricky and hard to predict.  Breast implants will certainly not remove your stretch marks, but some women do find that the marks are less apparent when the breasts are full and the skin is pulled taut.  It is possible to develop more stretch marks if the skin has to stretch over the implant.  I would suggest meeting with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns and your goals for your breasts.  He or she will be able to give you a better idea of what to expect after assessing your skin quality and determining how big you want your breasts to be.

Difficult to tell or predict, sometimes the stretch marks can improve after an augmentation, occasionally you can develop additional stretch marks with an augmentation, but that rarely occurs. It is impossible to predict and I usually tell patients to put tension on their current stretch marks and if they disappear Augmentation will usually improve the appearance. Good luck!!

Thank you for the question.

Generally speaking, the appearance of stretch marks to not change significantly after breast augmentation surgery.  Occasionally, patients may develop fresh stretch marks after the procedure;  which patient will develop stretch marks after breast augmentation is impossible to predict.  Sometimes, patients will report that their existing stretch marks improved slightly in appearance after the breast augmentation (once they are stretched…).

 It sounds like you may benefit from more information about the pros/cons of breast augmentation surgery.   Learning as much as possible about the pros/cons of the procedure will help you with “nervousness”.  Doing so will also allow you to make an informed decision about whether the procedure is right for you. You may find the attached link ( discussing potential risk/complications)  helpful to you.

Best wishes.

Stretch marks will be effaced (stretched) if your skin is stretched out by an implant.  This usually results in marks that are less visible since a stretched out stretch mark is less visible than a wrinkled stretch mark.