Breast enhancements have always been a popular cosmetic surgery procedure, but the safety of silicone implants was always a bit dubious. A new form of silicone implants may offer a solution.

Cosmetic surgery is a very talked-about topic these days, and the procedure that's most in the forefront of many people's minds is breast augmentation. Many women and men have strong opinions on this type of surgery, some good and some bad. While it can be said that some people take breast implantation too far, it can also be seen that for some people, it's a necessary surgery. Whether it's done for reconstructive reasons or for cosmetic issues, breast augmentation is performed much the same way.

Breast augmentation usually involves cutting into the breast in one of several ways, and then placing an implant into the breast to add volume and shape. In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned silicone implants (except for in reconstructive surgeries), because of fears that they could rupture and leak silicone into the body. This silicone leakage was found in some patients to cause illness throughout the body and also distort the shape of the breast. Since 1992, the vast majority of implants done in the United States have been saline filled. These have the advantage of not leaking potentially toxic silicone into the body if they rupture, but they do not look as full or natural as silicone implants.

A new item that is currently being tested for breast augmentation is a new form of silicone implants. The implants contain the same silicone as before, but the silicone contained in the implant is firmer. If the implant ruptures, the gel will not ooze out of the implant, and it will not affect the rest of the body. This type of implant is currently being used in medical trials by cosmetic surgeons in three separate studies in the US. .

Aside from not being as likely to leak, there are other advantages to these new silicone implants. They look as realistic and stay in as good shape as traditional silicone breast implants. The thicker silicone inside does not migrate around in the shell of the implant, so the doctors can craft a breast shape and the implant will stay that way. This is an important development given the fact that saline implants have met with criticism. They simply dont produce the shape or consistency of traditional silicone implants.

The new, thicker silicone implants look to be the wave of the future for breast augmentation. If the medical trials go well, they should be available to the general public within a few years.