I am 32 and I am planning to have a breast augmentation (something discreet) and a liposculpture within the next two weeks, but also I would like to get pregnant of my second baby in about 10 months. I did not get any stretch marks at all from my first pregnancy, but I am really concerned that the breast implants or the Lipo will cause them when I get pregnant again. Any opinions?
Brenda,
Stretch marks - Unlikely to be caused by surgery, but expected after pregnancy
Stretch marks ("striae") are a common occurrence after rapid weight gain or stretching of the skin, as in puberty or pregnancy
A breast augmentation and liposuction would be very unlikely to create stretch marks, so long as the breast implants were not so large that they caused massive stretching and tearing of the dermis of the breast skin. By a "discrete" breast augmentation, I assume you are aiming for a natural, subtle result. This would be highly unlikely to create any striae.
Stretch marks result from when the skin "stretches" beyond its ability to spring back and actually tears the deeper layer of the skin. The most common circumstances are pregnancy or significant weight gain. Why some women get stretch marks and others do not is largely a product of genetics and who their parents are. Unfortunately, not much else. You can control this to some degree by limiting or controlling your base weight, but with pregnancy, there is not much you can do.
Thus, taking away tissue in procedures such as liposuction, the likelihood of stretch marks is almost zero. Breast augmentation can result in striae, but in your case a "discrete" augmentation is very unlikely to cause this, especially when pregnancy did not result in abdominal stretch marks.
The biggest question is why undergo body sculpting and breast augmentation procedures less than a year before you intend to get pregnant again? If you were my patient, I would recommend that you weight until the next pregnancy is complete to begin your "transformation."
Unfortunately, I have had patients who did not develop stretch marks during their first pregnancy, but then did with second or third child. Thus, the surgery you need today may not be the one you need next year! If you weren't pursuing another child then I would say go for it; otherwise patience can be a valuable virtue.
You are lucky that you did not have stretch marks following your first pregnancy. This may be because of your age and genetics. Hopefully, you will continue to enjoy a body free of stretch marks. However, changes occur with each and every pregnancy, and you may discover some new striae after your next pregnancy.
