Kylie Jenner is no stranger to plunging necklines and barely-there clothes.
But a recent bikini photo from her holiday in St Tropez this month caught the eye for a different reason, the snap revealing a prominent scar under her right breast.
The 27-year-old makeup mogul has previously admitted to having breast augmentation at the age of 19, revealing she had grapefruit-sized implants in the summer of 2016.
Now, a leading plastic surgeon believes the scar may point to an additional and previously unknown process.
Dr. Sam Fuller, a plastic surgeon in Indiana, told DailyMai.com that she likely also performed a mastopexy, or breast lift, to help her achieve fuller breasts.
The surgeon, who performs several breast operations a week, said: “This scar is not typical of just one breast augmentation.
“Typically, in this procedure a very small one to two inch incision is made in the center of the breast fold.
“But the fact that there appears to be a scar that runs across the breast is more consistent with a mastopexy or lift procedure.”
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Breast lifts are usually performed at the same time as breast augmentations to reposition the tissue over the implants and make the breasts appear fuller and more defined.
But some may also choose them at a later date to lift the breast and tighten any sagging or damaged skin, including that caused by implants.
Dr. Fuller did not examine Jenner in person, but based his comments on photos of the celebrity’s scar that appeared under her breast on the beach in Saint Tropez and at an event in Rome, Italy, in May this year.
DailyMail.com contacted representatives for the star ahead of publication, but they did not respond to our request for comment.
He said it was possible she had a breast lift at the same time as her breast augmentation, which would be “very normal in practice”.
But she added that in his view the scars looked fresher, which she said indicated to her that she had had the procedure done within the past two years.
“I would say he probably had this surgery at least six to eight months ago, and probably within the last two years,” he said.
“For the first three to six months, the scars from this surgery are pink, red and purple, but over time these will fade and her scars have a faded appearance.
The scar also appears to be visible in this image of Jenner from an event in Rome, Italy, in May of this year
“I think, however, there is some thickening, which makes it look like this has been the case for at least the last couple of years.”
In a breast lift, surgeons make incisions around the nipple and along the breast crease before removing any excess skin and lifting and firming the breasts.
The incision is made in the crease under the breasts to hide the scar. It can be six inches long, but surgeons say more significant lifts require larger incisions.
Jenner confirmed on a 2023 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians that she had breast augmentation at 19, but said she regretted the decision.
“I had beautiful breasts, like natural t**s, just great, like perfect size, perfect everything, and I just wished, obviously, that I never did them in the first place,” she said.
“I would advise anyone considering it to wait until you have children.
“But yes, I obviously have a daughter too. I would be heartbroken if she wanted to fix her body at 19.’
She had the surgery shortly before becoming pregnant with her first child Stormi, who is now seven, which she said raised concerns.
Kylie previously revealed that she went under the knife to get her breasts done in a 2023 episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. It’s lit above in an image from Instagram
And last month, she revealed to a fan the size of her implants, saying in response to a TikTok video: “445cc, medium profile, half under muscle! Silicone! [Dr] Garth Fisher! Hope this helps, LOL!’
The 445cc number refers to 445 cubic centimeters, which equates to 445 milliliters or just under two US cups, roughly equivalent to a large grapefruit or medium to large mango.
Before revealing the implants, she said her breasts were padded from bras, periods and weight gain.
Dr Fuller said her comments had a significant impact on his own practice, revealing that many women would now request a 445cc implant.
But she added that everyone’s breasts were different and that many would find that another implant size would work better with their appearance.
The FDA has approved silicone breast implants for people age 22 and older, but doctors can still implant them off-label.
Dr. Fuller said he sees some women asking for implants as young as 19, and says in those cases they are asked to come in for repeat appointments to make sure they really want the implants, rather than it being a passing phase.
Approximately 300,000 breast augmentation surgeries are performed in the US each year, making it one of the most popular procedures nationwide, with numbers still rising. Around 143,000 breast lifts are also performed every 12 months.
