Saline or Silicone — Which Breast Implant Is Best for You?

You feel that Mother Nature was a little stingy when it comes to your cup size, and you want to correct this oversight with breast implants. You're certainly not alone in this desire, as nearly 300,000 Americans underwent breast augmentation in 2022 alone, making it the number two plastic surgery procedure in that same year (just behind liposuction).

Whether you want to go from an A to a C or a B to a D, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Cosmetic Surgery Center, Dr. Trent Fogleman specializes in breast augmentation, and he’s helped hundreds of our patients to realize their body-shape dreams with breast implants.

With the decision to undergo breast augmentation out of the way, your next decision is to choose between saline or silicone implants, and there are pros and cons with each.

The benefits and drawbacks of saline breast implants

Let’s first start with saline implants, which are filled with sterilized saline water to increase your breast size.

Some of the advantages of saline implants include:

Smaller incisions with saline

We only need small incisions (often under your arms) to place the saline implant because the implant is deflated. Only after we position the implant do we inflate it with saline water to your desired size.

Size is more easily adjustable with saline

Another advantage of saline is that we have more wiggle room when it comes to size adjustments. Since we control how much saline goes in, we can tailor the size to your exact desires. In fact, if the implant features a remote injection port, we can adjust the size of the implants after we’ve placed them, allowing you to make postsurgical tweaks once the implant settles into position.

Saline is more economical

Saline implants don't cost as much as silicone implants.

Leakage isn’t as problematic with saline

If a saline breast implant leaks, your body will safely absorb the saline liquid, and we can remove the implant or replace it during a quick procedure.

Now, let’s discuss some downsides of saline implants, which start with rippling or wrinkling. Since the saline implant isn’t as solid as silicone, it can look and feel more foreign, which includes the aforementioned rippling effect that can be seen from the surface.

Another drawback of saline implants is that, if there is a leak, the implant deflates and doesn’t hold its shape, which can leave you with two very different-sized breasts until you get a replacement.

The pros and cons of silicone breast implants

Now let's turn our attention to silicone implants, which are filled with a silicone gel. Here are some pros of these popular implants:

Silicone holds its shape better

One big advantage of silicone implants is that they hold their shape very well and there’s no surface rippling.

This advantage can also come into play if there’s a leak because, in contrast to a saline implant, a silicone implants holds its shape, even if there’s a rupture.

Silicone feels more natural

Another reason our clients love the silicone option is that they feel and look more natural than saline implants. The silicone gel is firmer and feels more like natural breast tissue.

Silicone comes in different shapes and sizes

Silicone implants come in different shapes and sizes, which allows us to really customize your breast augmentation.

When it comes to cons, silicone implants require larger incisions since they don’t deflate like saline implants. Another drawback is that any rupture in a silicone implant can be more problematic and require timely removal.

Breast implants, in general, have come a long way since their introduction in the late 1960s, so no matter which type you choose, know that you're getting an implant that’s been decades in the making.

If you’d like to sit down with us to discuss which breast implants would be best for your goals, we invite you to contact our office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to schedule a consultation.