What Is the Difference Between Silicone and Saline Breast Implants?

Many small-breasted women undergo breast implant surgery to enlarge their bustlines and gain cleavage. For women in the market for breast augmentation, the two options are silicone implants and saline implants. It is an important decision that must be made in consultation with a plastic surgeon. Both types of implants have their pros and cons. Women must consider how the fake breasts will look and feel, their cost, as well as safety and replacement issues. Here is a break down of the pros and cons of silicone and saline implants.

Pros of Silicone Implants: Silicone breast implants are still FDA-approved for cosmetic surgery, even after the 90's health scare when ruptured silicone implants were believed to cause serious health problems. The FDA has ruled that silicone implants are safe for women over the age of 18. Minors must wait, or else get saline implants. The main advantage of silicone implants is the way they look and feel. Silicone breasts have a more natural shape than their saline counterparts, and men prefer the soft feel of silicone gel implants.

Cons of Silicone Implants: Despite their superior look and feel, there are several disadvantages of silicone breast implants. For one, silicone implants come pre-filled, so they cannot be adjusted the way saline implants can. Silicone implants are also more expensive than saline implants. The incision that surgeons make to insert silicone implants is usually longer than for saline implants, so there may be more visible scarring.

Pros of Saline Implants: Saline implants are not pre-filled, so your plastic surgeon can fill the bags to just the right size in the operating room. An empty implant bag is inserted into the breast through a small incision, and then filled with saltwater. The cuts are much smaller, so there is less scarring. Saline breast implants also cost less, and are safer in comparison to silicone breasts. Should the implant rupture, saltwater is relatively harmless in the bloodstream.

Cons of Saline Implants: Unlike silicone gel, saline solution is not a compressible liquid. This means that saline implants can feel hard, rather than soft and squishy like natural breasts. Saline implants tend to look fake for larger sizes, simply because the bags become more spherical as more saline is added. Some men even report that they can hear liquid sloshing around in the breasts of women who have saline implants--usually not a turn on.

Whichever type of implant a woman chooses, she must keep in mind that implants are not permanent. The average duration of breast implants is five to ten years, after which they must be replaced.

If a woman has them removed, her breasts will not return to their original shape without another surgerical procedure, such as a breast lift. Especially if a woman opted for huge implants, the breasts may never return to their original shape once the implants are taken out.