5 questions about rippling

What is breast implant rippling?

Rippling is exactly how its sounds; it is wrinkling of the breast implant surface that can be seen and/or felt. Only a small percentage of woman experience wrinkling on the surface of the breast. Rippling is commonly felt along the outer side of the breast and the inner side of the breast next to the cleavage.

What causes breast implant rippling?

Rippling is caused by poor tissue coverage. Women with small breasts or those who lack breast tissue are more likely to have rippling post-operatively. MYA use Mentor implants which come with a textured surface call SILTEX and are filled with cohesive gel, which is safe and aesthetically pleasing. They even come in three degrees of filling from soft to firm. Your MYA specialist surgeon will discuss which the best is for you and your result. The Mentor MemoryGel Breast Implant FDA (Food and Drug Association) Clinical Study[1] of 552 patients showed wrinkling or rippling in only 1.3% of cases which I am sure you will agree is a very low figure.

Does implant placing affect rippling?

Breast implants that are placed over the muscle offer the least amount of coverage as it is just behind the patient’s current breast tissue. Women with very little breast tissue have a higher risk of rippling when their implants are placed over the muscle; this means that the surgeon might choose to place the implant under the muscle to reduce the risk of rippling and increase the likelihood of a natural result. This will be discussed in your free consultation with your MYA breast specialist surgeon, who following a physical examination, will discuss the best implant placement to achieve aesthetically pleasing results.

Does weight loss cause rippling?

Rippling will be less visible the thicker the skin/ fat tissue that covers the implant. Women who have dramatic weight loss following a breast enlargement will increase their risk of rippling. This is because when weight is lost, it is also lost from the breast tissue, which reduces the amount of tissue covering the implant. Your surgeon will discuss these factors in your surgical consultation and if you are planning on losing weight, it would be beneficial to do so prior to surgery and to attend another surgeon consultation as the placement of the implant might change along with your BMI (Body Mass Index).

Can pregnancy cause rippling?

These can cause breasts to increase and decrease in size, therefore affecting the layer of breast tissue covering the implant. When the skin becomes thin, rippling can sometimes occur.

MYA surgeons have a wealth of experience and have carried out thousands of breast enlargement procedures with amazing results - see for yourself on our before and after page. Like any cosmetic surgery procedure, there are risks involved and our surgeons will inform you of these prior to surgery to ensure you make an informed decision. We hope that this blog has helped to explain and make rippling a little clearer.

To discuss this subject further why not join the MYA Space forum with over thirty thousand members all happy to discuss all things cosmetic surgery related.

[1] Mentor Worldwide, LLC. MemoryGel™ Breast Implant 10-Year Core Gel Clinical Study Final Report. April 2013