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Saline or Silicone? And Other Important Implant Decisions
While the choice between saline and silicone is among the most important breast implant decisions, many women don’t realize that it’s just one among many choices that they’ll have to make. There are many different breast implant options available, and you’ll need to consider these factors before you can find the breast implant that’s right for you.
Saline and Silicone Breast Implants
Saline implants consist of a solid silicone shell filled with sterile saltwater. They can be prefilled to a certain size, or filled at the time of the surgery after being implanted. This allows greater choice and customization during your breast augmentation. Saline implants can be inserted by a smaller incision than silicone implants. Despite all these benefits, however, saline implants may not feel as natural as silicone-filled implants if you lack sufficient breast tissue. Silicone implants are filled with silicone gel. They come in a variety of sizes, either with smooth or textured shells. Because they come prefilled, silicone implants require a longer incision. They offer a more natural field and saline implants, but may rupture without your knowledge, so that regular MRIs after your breast augmentation surgery will be necessary.Gummy Bear Implants
The most recent implant to hit the US market is the cohesive gel, or “gummy bear,” breast implant. Unlike other silicone implants, gummy bear implants can retain their shape when cut in half. Their texture and stability has resulted in the “gummy bear” nickname. Proponents of gummy bear breast implants say that they:- last longer
- maintain a better shape
- resist wear and tear associated with gravity
- are less likely to leak
Bethenny Frankel Talks About Her Breast Surgeries
Most celebrities prefer not to discuss their plastic surgeries in public. But then again, most celebrities aren’t Bethenny Frankel. The 41-year-old talk show host recently discussed her experiences with cosmetic breast surgery on her Bravo TV show. Her journey with breast surgery didn’t begin until her early 30s, but Frankel says that she experienced issues with her breasts as early as teenagehood.
“I was in high school and probably about 30 pounds heavier and my boobs used to sag. They were bigger and they were saggy. They would almost like touch your stomach, when you feel like it’s hot and sweaty. I could’ve put a diet Coke can underneath and hold it because they were heavy and saggy.”Frankel managed to shed her extra weight in her late 20s and early 30s. Unfortunately, like many women who undergo weight loss, she found that this resulted in her breasts shrinking in size. This left her with excess skin on the breasts. “They were small. They were nice. They were probably like a C, but they were really still saggy,” Frankel says. After consulting the doctor about getting a breast lift, Frankel decided against the procedure, because she was apprehensive about unwanted scars. “I felt self-conscious that as a single woman going out and meeting men. I felt like I would be scared. So, he said put a small implant in it and it will lift it. I ended up with a D, and I didn’t feel like it was right on me. I felt kind of sloppy.” However, as the years wore on, Frankel grew increasingly dissatisfied with the state of her breasts. After several years, she returned to the doctor to have her implants removed and breasts lifted. She says that the procedure has made a huge difference in her bodily appearance and self-confidence. “I did feel much better. I felt like I was a little hotter, you know, a little perkier.”
