In the wild world of plastics, saline and silicone usually trump. But there are a couple of significant differences, and these are the reasons that I use saline, rather than silicone. Both saline and silicone breast implants have an exterior silicone shell, however, the implants are different in material and consistency.
Saline breast implants:
Saline implants are filled with sterilized salt water. They’re put in empty, and then filled once they’re in place.
Silicone breast implants:
Silicone implants are pre-filled with silicone gel — a thick, sticky fluid that closely resembles the feel of human fat.
Between the two of those, I prefer saline breast implants. Saline is the safest way to go. While safety of the implant is first and foremost, there is the off-chance of a rupture. If that does happen, the material makes a difference.
If a saline implant were to rupture, the implant would deflate, which causes the affected breast to adjust in size and shape. The leaking saline solution would be absorbed by your body without bringing on any health issues, but you’ll likely need surgery to remove the silicone shell. If you wish, a new implant can likely be inserted at the same time. Ain’t no thang.
If a silicone breast implant ruptures, it may take you a while to notice and is likely to spread outside the breast and into lymph nodes, and it’s not pretty. Studies haven’t found that this results in any increased risk of disease. Silicone tends to remain trapped in the fibrous tissue that grows around the implant. This is known as a silent rupture. A ruptured silicone implant may also cause breast pain.
