Rippling

Rippling describes visible or palpable wrinkles, folds, or ridges that can form in or over a breast implant and show through the skin. It is most commonly seen when soft-tissue coverage is thin, with certain implant types (for example, saline or low-profile implants), with subglandular (above the muscle) placement, after weight loss, or as a result of implant folding or underfilling.

Patients may notice lines, shadows, or a textured feeling on the breast surface, particularly when leaning forward or pressing on the area. Management depends on the cause and severity and can include non-surgical measures such as changing implant fill or support, or surgical options like implant exchange, repositioning to a submuscular plane, capsular revision, or fat grafting to increase soft-tissue coverage; a specialist assessment is used to choose the appropriate approach.