stretch marks

[sdg954]

I have stretch marks on the underside of my chest where my breast have grown. Can anyone tell me, is this an indication that I will have loose skin once I lose the fat or get the surgery done?

Thanks

[Grandpa Bambu]

No... 

GB...

[Paa_Paw]

The stretch marks will not "Go Away" but they will fade with time and gradually become unnoticeable.

[anon85]

No... 

GB...

Can you elaborate on that no? I was curious about this myself. It seems to me that if the skin was stretched enough to produce stretch marks, that it's not going to just bounce right back no questions asked.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Stretch marks on the skin do indeed reflect some loss of elasticity.  Think of millions of elastic fibers in the skin, similar to rubber bands, which stretch and contract.  That is what provides elasticity to the skin.  When the skin is stretched beyond its capacity, some of the elastic fibers will break (similar to pulling a rubber band until it ruptures). The stretch mark is the place where the rupture of elastic fibers has occurred. And, as yet, there is no cure or treatment for stretch marks, much as you cannot put the ends of a rubber band back together again.

Skin with stretch marks actually look better when skin is stretched.  Many times when I see stretch marks on a gyne chest, I will tell the patient that after surgery, the chest will have better contours but the stretch marks will actually look a bit more prominent.  Ultimately, red stretch marks do fade to white over time.

Please, do not spend money on stretch mark creams or other treatments -- they do not work and it is a waste of money!

Dr Jacobs