Choosing Between Saline Breast Implants or Silicone Breast Implants

Every time someone talks about breast augmentation, different kinds of saline or silicone implant always come to mind. Most women are looking to breast implants as a hot item today since it affects so much of their physical beauty as well as their lifestyle.

For those who are unfamiliar, a breast implant is actually a sac that is made from material that is called elastomer. This sac usually contains a saline solution or silicone solution. For surgical breast augmentation, these sacs are implanted right underneath the woman’s breast tissue. Females who are interested in getting saline or silicone breast implants would be able to choose from several sizes and types. Let’s discuss these two types of implants further.

A saline breast implant is equipped with a silicon cover or shell. This empty shell is pumped with sterile saline solution that is made from sodium chloride as well as sterile water. The size of the sac or implant would depend on the preference of the patient.

On the other hand, silicone breast implants use a semi metallic element called silicon. This is a very abundant element next to oxygen. When this is combined with oxygen, you get silica. In turn, silica is heated with carbon at high temperatures so that it will produce silicon. There are further processes that take place to convert this into the polymer silicone that people use for the implants.

Regardless of whether you are getting saline breast implants or silicone breast implants, you still need to consult with a doctor first, especially about how the process is going to go. It is also important to get any of your concerns out of the way, so feel free to ask any questions you might have. Discuss or ask about the advantages and disadvantages of getting such implants. Here are some common pros and cons for each type of implant.

For saline breast implants, they are inserted empty. Hence, they only require a small slit under your breast, translating to lesser scars. Another advantage is that you can immediately notice if there are ruptures, so there is less chances of complication. The shell deflates since the saline solution would leak out. It is also much cheaper than the silicone implants which is perfect for those who are still young, but want to undergo surgery.

As for silicone breast implants, they are expensive, but they feel more natural to the touch and less rippling when the shell gets folded. They also last longer than the saline ones. Silicon shells are planted pre-filled so the incision has to be made larger and when they rupture, your body could absorb the silicon which can be problematic.