Can stretch marks be removed with breast augmentation surgery?
Updated on • Reviewed by Dr. Gustavo Sordo, plastic surgeon
When asked if stretch marks are eliminated with breast augmentation surgery, the answer is simple: no.
When a person undergoes a procedure to increase breast size , no skin is removed from the area, so there is no possibility that this action will lead to the elimination of stretch marks in the area.
It's important to note that if a woman wants to increase her breast size and chooses a very large implant, there's a possibility that stretch marks will appear on the skin in the area due to the pressure the prosthesis exerts. In these cases, Dr. Gustavo Sordo recommends that patients prevent this by applying specific creams to the area between 7 and 15 days before undergoing the procedure.
Before the consultation, you can see real cases according to your breast type and compare the simulation with the result obtained.
Stretch mark removal and breast augmentation
It's important to remember that stretch marks are skin abnormalities that occur when a person experiences rapid weight gain or loss, or muscle building . They commonly appear during pregnancy, puberty, or after dieting that leads to significant weight loss. Stretch marks look like wavy lines, typically reddish or whitish in color. Their appearance can be considered unsightly, which is why many people opt for surgical removal.
However, this is only possible if the surgery involves skin removal . This is the case, for example, with abdominoplasties, where excess skin must be removed. Therefore, only in surgical procedures that remove skin is it possible to eliminate stretch marks. And even then, only if the stretch marks are located on the removed area of the body.
Otherwise, they would not disappear with the operation either.
Let's be clear: breast augmentation does not eliminate stretch marks . A stretch mark is a scar in the dermis, and the implant tightens the skin, sometimes making them less noticeable, but in other cases—especially with larger implants—they can become more visible as the skin stretches. To promise otherwise would be misleading.
Furthermore, the presence of numerous stretch marks is a useful clinical indicator: it suggests skin with reduced elasticity , which influences the choice of technique and volume, because such skin is less able to support the implant's weight over time. In these cases, we are especially careful with the size and always reconstruct the inframammary fold with continuous sutures, creating an internal support. For the stretch marks themselves, dermatological treatments—retinoids, laser, microneedling—are most effective, and they work better the more recent the stretch marks are.
The operations that are frequently used to remove stretch marks, and in which a large number of them are normally removed, are:
- Abdominoplasty: Without a doubt the most common, in it we remove the skin from the navel to the pubic hair line, so that all the stretch marks that are in that area will be removed.
- Breast reduction: Stretch marks within the excess skin pattern from the reduction will be removed, generally in the center of the breast (around the areola).
- Mastopexy and mastopexy + breast augmentation: just like in breast reduction, the stretch marks around the areolas will generally be removed.
In any case, before undergoing breast enlargement surgery, you should seek the opinion of a cosmetic surgery professional to guide you on how to treat the skin in the area to make it look healthier and more beautiful. For more information, make an appointment without obligation.
Stretch marks are most common on the abdomen, buttocks, and breasts, areas that are very sensitive to weight gain. However, they can appear all over the body.
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Dr. Gustavo Sordo
Specialist in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery. Member No. 282858125.
Content clinically reviewed by Dr. Gustavo Sordo. Last review: October 7, 2026.