The Sad Truth About Silicone Injections

Silicone is derived from silicon, a semi-metallic or metal-like element that in nature combines with oxygen to form silicon dioxide, or silica. Beach sand, crystals, and quartz are silica; in fact, silica is the most common substance on earth. Heating silica with carbon at a high temperature can produce silicon. Further processing can convert the silicon into a long chemical chain, or polymer, called silicone - which can be a liquid, gel, or rubbery substance.

Various silicones are used in lubricants and oils, as well as in silicone rubber. Silicone can be found in many common household items, such as polishes, suntan and hand lotion, antiperspirants, soaps, processed foods, waterproof coatings, and chewing gum. The FDA has approved many medical devices made of silicone, including replacement heart valves, and now the re-entry of silicone gel-filled breast implants. Solid silicone implants are commonly used for chin and malar augmentation, and have been used in nasal, chest, and calf augmentation, as well as in joint replacement and tendon reconstruction

Liquid silicone was developed in 1963 and used for augmentation of the breast and face prior to the development of a purer grade of injectable silicone, which was available for investigational purposes. This new formulation was in the process of being considered as an investigational new drug by Dow-Corning in 1976, when the accumulation of reported adverse effects, including inflammation, induration, discoloration, ulceration, migration, and silicone granuloma formation led Dow-Corning to withdraw its application. Liquid silicone is not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and its use should be condemned.

The FDA warns that they have not approved "the marketing of liquid silicone for injection for any cosmetic purpose, including the treatment of facial defects or wrinkles, or enlarging the breasts."

In the Philippines, sad to say, liquid silicone injection is still rampant. It can be found in the black market, as well as salons using non-medical and medical grade silicone intended for lubrication of surgical instruments. Medical grade silicone does not mean that it is intended for human injection. Horror stories are abound with the injection of silicone oils. Most of the people who inject it will say that it is a form of collagen. Beware. Collagen injections are very expensive as compared to silicone injections which will cost under USD200 for a noselift. Some patients even fall victim to silicone injections as alternatives to breast augmentation with implants.

Effects of silicone injection are well-documented. Displacement due to gravity, inflammation, and discoloration of surrounding tissues, and granuloma formation, and infection of the recipient area are the most common complications reported. Foreign-body-type silicoma can even occur up to 11 years after implantation, even with highly refined, medicalgrade silicone and microdroplets.

There is difficulty of conducting long-term follow-up with patients who present with these complications, because of the underground nature of the practice. It is the author's wish that by making the public and the medical community aware of the symptoms and severe consequences of illegal silicone use, mortality risks and patient outcomes from this clandestine practice will improve. The safety and well-being of the patient should be the plastic surgeon's primary concern. Illicit practices such as these has no room in the field of plastic surgery. Always ask for the qualifications of your chosen surgeon.

Article by JOEL UNSON MD, a fully trained Filipino Plastic Surgeon. For more information on Plastic Surgery in the Philippines, you may visit his website at http://plasticsurgery.unson.com

Breast Enlargement - How to Go About It

Breast enlargement which is also referred to as breast implant, breast augmentation or mammoplastory enlargement is said to be the most famous cosmetic surgical procedure in the UK and the United States Of America. It feels good to be a well defined female so if you think breast augmentation will give you the feeling, first check out your options. It might be an uplift, nipple alignment but whatever the procedure make sure it is the safest way. Available are the breast enlargement pills, pumps and finally plastic surgery. The pill is believed to be the most natural way. All the ingredients are natural supplement. Compare all the pills and get the one with the highest breast enlargement supplement and less side effects.

If the the only alternative for breast enlargement is surgery you should know that their are two famous breast implants known to reconstruct the breast. Their is the saline filled implant and the silicone- gel filled implants. The saline filled implant contains shells made of silicone elastomer filled with a liquid of sterile saline or salty water after the implant is safely placed in the body. Since the shell is empty when being surgically inserted in the body it results into a smaller scar. Silicon gel breast implant result in to a bigger scar since the implant is silicon-filled before the surgery is performed. If saline is filled before surgery it is said to fail miserably.

Saline-filled implants are known to succeed but they can lead to cosmetic complications such as wrinkling and rippling. It can also be noticed by a mere look or touch. A successful breast enlargement procedure should not leave any trace behind. Silicone gel implants are recommended for women with less breast tissue and those who needs post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. For women with much breast tissue and who have used sub muscular implant placement, saline implants can work as well as silicon implants. The placements are specific depending on various circumstances. For instance there is sub glandular placement which refers to placing implant between the breast tissue and the pectoralis muscle. This position is similar to the normal breast tissue. It is said to achieve more aesthetic results compared to the rest. In patients with soft thin-tissue coverage it is more likely to reveal wrinkles or ripples of the underlaying implant.

Subfascial placement is among the pockets position used during breast enlargement. The implant is placed in the subglandular position only that it is underneath the fascia of the pectoralis muscle. The benefit of this technique IS believed to be, the thick layer of fascial tissue helps to cover and sustain the position of the implant. Breast Implants that are known to undergo capsular contraction are less likely to displace upward or towards the armpits or underarms. In subpectoral position the breast implant is placed right underneath the pectoralis major muscle after the inferior muscular attachments are released. This results in the implant being partially beneath the pectoralis in the upper pole, while the bottom half of the implant is in the subglandular plane. This is the most common technique in North America and achieves maximum upper implant coverage while at the same time allowing the lower pole to expand. Excessive movement of the implants in the subpectoral plane can be too much to most patients. All these empower you as a woman to make the right choice.

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