Breast augmentation is recommended for women with small breasts compared to the rest of their anatomy. Small breasts can occur as a result of an underdeveloped mammary gland, but they can also occur after pregnancy and breastfeeding. This means that there are women who have always had small breasts and women who were pleased with their breasts, but then pregnancy and breastfeeding made their breasts look small and empty. For women in both categories, there is usually just one effective solution, and it is called breast implant surgery. However, for women who have lost breast tissue due to pregnancy and breastfeeding and want to regain more volume, the breast lift might also be performed at the same time when getting breast implants.
The appearance of the breasts post-pregnancy and breastfeeding is similar to the appearance of the breasts after gaining considerable weight. Small breasts tend not to sag very low on the chest wall, but the nipples can be pointing downward and the breasts can look like empty bags, with no upper pole volume and an unwelcoming shape. Moreover, it can happen for breasts to be left with stretch marks after pregnancy and breastfeeding, just like after significant weight loss.
Many patients are worried about the appearance of the skin after getting implants on breasts with stretch marks, and they ask how implants will affect the skin on the breasts.
Generally speaking, when getting implants, the skin envelope of the breasts is stretched to accommodate the added volume. If the volume of the implants is extreme, stretch marks can develop after getting a breast augmentation as the collagen fiber might rupture. If the patient has stretch marks prior to getting implants, it is even more important to choose the right type of implants to be used. Excessively large implants can cause even more stretch marks and an overall unpleasant appearance of the skin.
What happens when we insert implants in breasts with stretch marks is that the stretch marks might be even more visible. They will be stretched, and in some cases, their appearance might not be ideal. However, breast augmentation doesn’t deal with the appearance of the skin on the breasts or stretch marks. In some cases, when the patient also has a breast lift with breast implant surgery, the plastic surgeon might be able to eliminate some of the stretch marks if they are positioned in the areas from where the excess skin is eliminated. However, it is important not to expect that breast augmentation surgery with implants will improve the stretch marks on the breasts.
Keep in mind that you undergo the procedure to get the breasts of your dreams in terms of size and shape. To improve the skin envelope of the breasts, you can resort to other cosmetic procedures later on when you are completely healed after the breast augmentation.