How Do I Get Rid Of Rippling In My Breast Implants?

Q:  I had saline breast implants placed three years ago. I went from a A to a C cup. While I like the results, there are ripples along the bottom and the sides of the implant. I know some people have them and can feel them, but in me you can actually see them. They are really evident when I bend over. Is there any way to fix these? Would a smaller implant be a fix? Would smooth implants be a fix? Would alloderm be a fix for rippling ?

A: By the way you have framed your question, I am assuming that you have textured saline implants. Whether they are above or below the muscle is another very relevant question. Either way, however, saline breast implants are well known to have this problem. Sometimes the rippling is relatively minor, other times it can be quite significant. It is a ‘natural’ feature of saline implants which reflects the differences in how water vs. a silicone gel coats the inside of the silicone shell or containment bag. While it is common and expected in saline breast augmentation, several things can make it more pronounced, such as using a textured implant, placing the implant above the muscle and underfilling the implant from its recommended minimum volume.

While there are still some unanswered questions about your breast implants, there are several known effective strategies. Changing to a silicone implant is one of the successful as these implants have much less rippling. If cost is an issue, a more economic approach is to simply fill your existing implants with more volume. (it would be important to know beforehand what base size implant you have and how much saline is in them) While alloderm can thicken the capsule and theoretically lessen the amount of rippling, it is the most expensive strategy and the least assured of making a significant difference.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana