Whatever the reason, you can discuss breast implants and your individual needs with your surgeon before committing to a procedure. Let’s take a look at the various types of breast implants available:

Saline Breast Implants
Saline breast implants give you a uniform firmness, shape and feel. They are filled with sterile saline, or salt water. In the event of the shell leaking, the implant would collapse and the saline would be absorbed and then expelled safely from the body; however, they can tend to deflate slowly over time and are more prone to folding or wrinkling than silicone implants. Saline breast implants are also more likely than silicone implants to rupture and can feel less natural.

Silicone Breast Implants
These are filled with a soft silicone gel that feels more natural than saline breast implants. In the event of a silicone breast implant leaking, it will not collapse like a saline implant; instead, the gel may stay within the outer shell or leak into the breast implant pocket. People who opt for silicone breast implants may need to have regular checks by their surgeon to ensure that the implants are working correctly. The condition of the implants can be assessed by using ultrasound or MRI screening.

Form-stable Breast Implants
Form-stable implants are also known as gummy bear breast implants because their shape is retained even if the shell of the implant is ruptured. They are firmer and probably less likely to break than traditional silicone breast implants. Form-stable breast implants are shaped and taper towards the top, with more projection at the base. As they are shaped rather than round, they can cause the breast to look strange if they rotate. A longer incision in the skin is needed to implant gummy bear breast implants.

Round Breast Implants
Round breast implants tend to make the breasts look fuller than gummy bear implants and can provide even more projection with higher profile options. Rotation of round implants is of less concern than with form-stable implants.

Smooth Breast Implants
These are the softest-feeling breast implants and can have more natural movement as they can move within the pockets. Some visible or palpable rippling may occur with smooth breast implants.

Textured Breast Implants
Textured breast implants are less likely to move or reposition inside the breast because they develop scar tissue that adheres to the implant. The risk of a tight scar capsule is diminished by the texturing.

Finally, breasts can be augmented by fat transfer. This procedure uses liposuction to remove fat from other parts of the body, which is injected into the breasts. This can give more natural results and can be an option for women who would like a small increase in the size of their breasts.