Silicone Breast Implants

Saline Breast Implant Profile

Outer shell: Silicone

Inner fill: Pre-filled with silicon gel

Texture: Smooth

Shape(s) available: Round

Cost for implants: $1,200 – 2,200

Techniques for placement: Because the implants are pre-filled, a larger incision is necessary. The inframammary incision method is used, which has minimal scarring and hides the incision at the fold of the breast, but placement options are more limited than saline.

Advantages: Silicone breast implants look and feel the most natural. They are durable and less likely to leak or burst.

Risks/disadvantages: Silicone breast implants require a larger incision and have raised health concerns if they burst or rupture. They are more difficult to replace than their saline-filled counterparts; all breast implants require replacement after 10 to 20 years.

About silicone: Although most people first think of breast augmentation when they hear the word “silicone,” but silicone can be used in the human body in a number of ways. It has been used to construct artificial heart valves, to facilitate nerve regeneration and as an element in skeletal prostheses, to name a few.

Silicone gel is derived from silicon, which is the second most commonly found element on earth. When silicon is mixed with oxygen, carbon and hydrogen, it forms silicone. Depending on its molecular weight, silicone can form oils, gels or rubbers. The lower the silicone's molecular weight, the runnier it is.

The silicone breast implants for breast augmentation that are approved by the FDA consist of a firm outer silicone shell filled with a silicon gel. These breast augmentation implants (which are manufactured by Mentor and Allergan) use three layers of silicone shell in order to help make them more durable and to minimize the chance of leakage or bursting. While this makes the silicone breast implants slightly firmer to the touch, it does make them much safer.

Read more about silicone gel implants and the FDA in our Breast Implants FDA section.

Use our Surgeon Locator to find a silicone breast augmentation surgeon near you!