Background: Stretch marks are a common occurrence on female breasts. They usually occur from pregnancy and breast feeding but may also occur from large amounts of weight loss. The pattern of stretch marks on the breasts are almost always in a radiating pattern from the nipple which is completely perpendicular to the natural relaxed skin tension lines of the breast skin.
Stretch marks are anatomically as their name implies… the skin is stretched, the dermis partially tears and the result is a linear strip of thinner skin. It looks indented because the skin is thinner than the surrounding skin and it is also white because of loss of pigment. The cause of stretch marks is tension albeit acutely or from chronic skin stretch.
Because stretch marks are well known to occur on the breast it is a logical question for a patient to ask if breast augmentation can cause them. Equally importantly can getting breast implants make stretch marks worse? The stretch on the breast mound skin due to the implants and the swelling does make one wonder.
Case Study: This 36 year old female had two children and had developed extensive stretch marks on both breast mounds. While the potential of exaggerating her stretch marks was not going to stop her from getting breast implants, she was curious if they would.
Under general anesthesia she had 400cc Sientra high profile silicone geo breast implants placed through inframammary incisions. Her postoperative results shows that her stretch marks did not really look worse. The actual width of the stretch marks was actually wider but they were no more visible.
Stretch marks after breast augmentation do not get worse because the linear strip that comprises it has already lost its elasticity. It can tolerate additional stretching without the zone of injury becoming greater. In essence the damage is already done.
Breast augmentation is also very unlikely to cause stretch marks in breasts that do not already have them. The better quality and elasticity of their skin makes them more resistant. There are rare reports of it occurring but it is very rare.
Highlights:
1) Breast augmentation uses an implant which stretches the overlying breast skin.
2) Breast stretch marks are stretched further with augmentation but usually do not look worse.
3) Breast augmentation is not known to cause stretch marks in the vast majority of women.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana