Should I Prep my Skin with a Stretch Mark Cream Before Breast Augmentation?

I have had a few cases where patients developed stretch marks following breast implants.  In those cases, the patients experienced only a few stretch marks, but they were disconcerting nonetheless.  You are right that there will probably be no harm I using cream to try to prevent them, but there is no evidence that it works.  Just make sure it is okay with your surgeon.  the risk of getting stretch marks overall from the procedure is quite low.

Hello.

Thank you for an interesting inquiry.

Unfortunately, there is not direct correlation between pre-op skin treatment for stretch marks and their post-op formation after breast augmentations.

Normally, post-op stretch marks attributed to breast augmentations are rare and if they tend to happen they will be mostly attributed to a skin with limited elasticity and/or extra large implants used during surgery.

However, I believe that consulting with your dermatologist concerning the Bio Oil you are using may be helpful.

I hope this helps and the best of luck to you.

Thank you for your question. It may difficult to prevent stretch marks if you are prone to developing them with home therapy and creams. I would check with your plastic surgeon if they have a skin care regimen in their office that is pro-collagen (e.g. TNS essential serum), and consider this if you would like to be pro-active prior to surgery. Best of luck.

There is nothing really you can do to prep your skin for breast augmentation, because it depends on your genetics and skin quality more than anything whether you develop stretchmarks or not. If you have a history of stretchmarks then your risk of developing them after surgery is higher. But, you can always keep your skin well moisturized so that it's more resilient. 

Whether or not a patient develops stretch marks following breast augmentation depends on a number of individual factors. The most important of these elements are the patient’s predisposition toward developing stretch marks, the size of the implant used in the procedure (larger implants cause greater skin stretch) and the techniques used during the augmentation procedure itself.Most patients report that within three to four months reddish/purplish stretch marks begin to turn silvery and continue to fade with time until they’re barely noticeable. Unfortunately, creams haven't really been proven effective in eradicating stretch marks, but you can try if you'd like.

    There is no known stretch mark pretreatment therapy of any value prior to having breast augmentation.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Hughesplasticsurgery Los Angeles, CA

Stretch marks are uncommon in our experience - particularly if the implants are placed behind the muscle and are not super-large compared to the space available.  Fewer than 5% of patients get new stretch marks.  It makes sense to ensure that the skin is moisturized prior to surgery - but I haven't seen any scientific studies that show that pre-treatment reduces stretch marks.  Best of luck!

Hi! Thank you for your question.

 

Stretch marks are one of the risks of breast augmentation. Since your breasts will be larger after surgery, your skin will need to stretch to accommodate them.

 

You can apply cocoa or Shea butter to your breasts daily after surgery. Begin doing this as early as possible. The natural butters helps keep skin moisturized, therefore making it less susceptible to stretching and scarring. Dry skin is much more likely to scar from the stretching process.

 

After your breasts have fully healed from surgery, you can massage your breasts daily to increase circulation, allowing blood and nutrients to more easily reach the skin, thereby preventing and improving stretch marks.

 

Follow your plastic surgeon's aftercare instructions properly.

 

I have provided a direct link below for additional information as well as a lot of before and after pictures.

 

Thanks for your question and have a great day!

Best regards,

Dr. Speron

 

It is uncommon, although not unheard of, to get stretch marks from a breast augmentation. If you notice stretch marks after surgery it is usually an amplification of stretch marks that were there previously.

With regard to creams, I am not aware of any good evidence to suggest that any pre-treatment works to prevent the development of stretch marks. That being said, hydration is a key part of good skin care. At a minimum, your skin will feel and look better.

I think this is a case of "no harm, no foul." If the cream is not too expensive, there is nothing to loose, and peace of mind to gain.

Certainly one likes to be proactive.  However, there is no scientific basis to support any claims that such creams are effective.  Fortunately, stretch marks are not typically caused by breast augmentation.  You can view many before and after photos on my website (attached), which do not tend to show new stretch marks after surgery.