Breast Implants: Q&A
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Do Saline Breast Implants Look and Feel Natural?
I am a small size B and have had two kids. I am looking to get small saline implants maybe 300 - 325 cc's. I was wanting saline for safety, but I want the natural feel. I will be going under the muscle.
So would saline implants still be OK since I am going under the muscle, or will it look and feel unnatural?
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35 Doctor Answers |
Asked by
Daisy2000
in Bentonville, AR 72712
+10
Saline Breast Implants can Look and Feel Natural
Breast Augmentation: seeking natural-appearing results
Having practiced plastic surgery in the 'breast augmentation capital of the world' (Los Angeles), I have developed some fairly strong opinions about this operation. In thinking about breast augmentation surgery, I believe that the most important question for a prospective patient to ask themselves is this: Am I seeking a natural-appearing result? When the goal of this operation is a natural breast enhancement, the results can be...
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+5
Saline Breast Implants: Natural contour and Improved shape with submuscular implants
Breast implants can be placed in the submuscular or subglandular plane.
A natural contour and feel is dependent on the following breast principles:
Symmetry of the breasts
Position of the nipple areola
Shape of the native breast prior to implantation
Contour of the breast prior to implantation
Quality of the skin
Amount of breast parenchyma
Density of breast parenchyma
Technique of implantation
Saline or silicone implants
Saline implants can feel very natural depending on the quality of...
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+4
Saline implants usually look and feel natural
Hello,
The result of breast implant surgery has something to do with the patient and her desires regarding size and something to do with the surgeon and his/her technique. If you have relatively little breast/chest muscle tissue and want really large breasts, you are not going to look (or feel) so natural. How natural things look has alot to do with how much of your tissue covers those implants. Think "under the muscle" implants to get that tissue working for you.
If you are more...
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+4
It depends on your body type
In my practice, 80% of patients select gel implants because the "feel" of the implant is of paramount importance. 20% go with saline because they believe it is "safer" for them. So, if despite all the evaluations by the FDA, you don't feel comfortable with gel, you should go with saline recognizing that they won't (even under the muscle) feel as natural as gel. It becomes a matter of what your personal priorities are.
If you are thin and have minimal breast tissue, the...
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+3
Saline Breast Implants
You hit the nail on the head. Glad to see you have done your homework. Saline implants are perfectly safe and have never been removed for the marketplace. Placing the implant under the muscle gives a more natural look to the upper portion of the breast. Moreover, it is safer for you to have them placed under the muscle. That having been said, it does hurt a little more as your chest muscles will be stretched and quite tender for a few days as you accommodate...
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Akron Plastic Surgeon
+2
Saline Implants Have the Potential to Look & Feel Natural Following Breast Augmentation
Saline implants have the potential to look and feel natural following breast augmentation surgery. This requires adequate soft tissue coverage of the implant and the selection of an appropriately sized implant.
When adequate soft tissue coverage is present, the breast looks and feels natural. When soft tissue coverage is inadequate, the breast may not feel normal and rippling may be present.
Adequate soft tissue coverage is more likely if the patient has a moderate amount of...
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+2
Not Really
It is my experience that saline implants will look great but typically feel less natural, especially as time goes by. Saline allows me to correct minor asymmetry of the breasts and place through smaller incision but usually some rippling of the lower lateral breast. I would suggest always placing saline implants under the muscle in attempt to soften the feel and look.
+2
Saline breast implants
Saline breast implants, especially when place under the pec muscle, can look and feel as good as silicone implants. With saline implants you gain adjustability and save some cost. If you . If you have little breast tissue,you need to be careful to choose a midest implant so to minimize visible rippling or wrinkling.
+2
Saline Implants For A Natural Result
It is possible to get a very natural result with either saline or silicone implants.
The key to a natural result is how much natural breast tissue you have to cover the implant:
If the implant size you choose is as wide or wider than your natural breast, you are more likely to see the edge of the implant;
Rippling of the implants is diminished under the muscle
the muscle does not cover the implant at the crease or the side of the breast
Rippling...
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+2
Not as good a silicone
Just to be clear silicone implant are and have always been safe. The studies have looked at hundreds of thousands of women comparing those with silicone implants and those without and there is no difference in disease prevalence between the two groups.
Silicone will always feel more natural. However, initially saline will feel firm but over time they and the breast tissue will soften. After 6 months they will feel very natural. If you were an A cup I would strongly recommend silicone but...
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+2
Lots of factors involved in natural appearing augmented breasts
Saline implants can look and feel relatively natural in women who are starting with a fair amount of breast tissue (B cup is better than A cup in this case), and when the implants are placed under the muscle. Long term issues in salines without muscle and tissue coverage include rippling and palpability of the implant shell.
Silicone gel filled implants are more natural feeling (less like a water balloon) and are very safe, if that is your concern. These implants were approved in Nov. 2006...
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+2
Sometimes
To echo the comments by the other plastic surgeons, whether or not an implant looks natural I think largely depends on the size as it relates to your body type - ie, selecting an implant that is too big for your breast skin envelope and body type will look un-natural whether it's saline or silicone. Having said that, the silicone implant will always feel more natural and will have less visible and palpable rippling. The issue of going under the muscle is important for many reasons, the...
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+2
Gels usually look and feel more natural
In my experience, the silicone gels give a superior look and feel and the overwhelming majority of my patients prefer silicone implants. You can achieve a very nice result with saline implants, but if you're thin (and sometimes even if you're not) you will probably feel or see some rippling of the implant, and this can worsen over the years. Placing the implant under the muscle may protect against this a little bit, but it is no guarantee of a natural look and feel.
Sit down with your...
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+1
Do Saline Breast Implants Look and Feel Natural?
Saline implants can present as very natural appearing augmented breasts when placed under the muscle but they do not feel as natural as silicone implants. They are a good choice for patients either scared of silicone or for economic reasons.
+1
Do Saline Breast Implants Look and Feel Natural
The saline implant can look and feel natural if placed under the muscle and is a good choice for patients that are scared of silicone implants. I do not feel that they present as well as silicone implants.
+1
The Ideal Saline Implant
Saline Implants in many women with firm breasts and enough soft tissue (fat and breast tissue) do fine with traditional saline implants. These are usually young women under the age of 25 in my practice. However for many other women this may not be the best option and the reason why many women choose a silicone gel alternative. This may all change as in the near future the IDEAL implant will be released: essentially a saline implant that is designed to feel like and behave like a silicone gel...
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+1
Natural Looking Saline Implants
The key with any implant, including saline implants, is that they should be placed in a subpectoral (below the muscle) technique and in symmetrical pockets below the muscle. One of the key elements is that you need to avoid excessively large base diameter and size for the patient. Using these parameters, both saline and silicone implants will look good and enhance the longevity.
+1
Do saline implants feel/look natural.
Hello. If you are going to have either implant placed under the muscle, both will have a natural feel. It mainly depends on the patients anatomy. If you have enough breast tissue to cover the implant you will have a more natural look. Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who is experienced in breast augmentation for best results.
+1
Saline can look very natural....under certain conditions......
It depends on a number of things......
The size and projection you choose, relating to your body type and broadness of your shoulders. If you choose the right implant, it should be proportunate to your body type.
If you have enough soft tissue to cover the implant....thin skin results in an unnatural look including rippling.
Submuscular placement of the implant always looks more natural. This is when the implant is placed under the muscle.
see video
+1
Do Saline implants look and feel natural?
You can achieve natural results with either saline or silicone implants. Placement of the implant under the muscle helps to give you a more natural appearance. The implant tends to feel softer with less of a chance of capsular contracture (hardening of the breast from scar tissue). If you are very thin and have little breast tissue, I prefer to use silicone implants. Silicone will feel softer and more natural in this case. However, if you have a B or C cup...
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+1
Depends on your body/breast makeup
If you are very thin and have little breast tissue, you will always look and feel more natural with silicone implants.
+1
Saline breast implants
Saline implants can feel natural. They certainly can feel more natural with more soft tissue coverage. They also will feel better if they are smaller implants. Placing them under the muscle also helps. However, silicone gel implants will feel more natural.
+1
Beautiful results can be achieved with both saline and silicone implants
One can achieve a beautiful appearance with both saline and silicone implants depending on how it is positioned. Generally speaking, I prefer a dual plane, partial submuscular approach to give a more natural, tear drop appearance. The biggest difference between saline and silicone implants is not the appearance but rather the feel of your breasts. Silicone implants will feel more natural in most patients especially in those patients who have breast fed and their breasts have involuted or...
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+1
Saline breast implants
Saline breast implants can look and feel quite natural, especially when place under the pectoral muscle. If you are very thin and have little breast tissue, you may be more likely to develop visible rippling or wrinkling. Silicone implants have less likelihood of rippling and may be a reasonable option in a thin patient, who has less tissue to "hide" the implant. In general, silicone implants feel more natural however they often times look similar to saline. Safety should be a...
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+1
Silicone vs Saline
You can get a very good result with saline implants, especially if they are placed behind the chest muscles. You will probably get a "better look" and "more natural feel" with silicone implants. There has been no scientific evidence that silicone implants cause any of the problems that trial lawyers invented in the early 1990's. The silicone implants are more costly and for that reason many of my patients continue to choose saline and get very good results....
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+1
Your look will be the same but Silicone implants feel more natural
It is difficult to tell the difference between a silicone and saline implant just by looking. Saline implants tend to have a higher incidence of rippling especially when leaning forward. This is true even if under the muscle as the portion of the implant toward the armpit is really not under the muscle. When it comes to feel however, there is really no comparison between the two. Silicone implants feel much more like natural breast than saline implants. Certainly using a submuscular approach...
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+1
Saline implants can feel natural
Saline breast implants can look and feel very natural. It LARGELY depends on the patient and how much breast tissue she is starting with to cover the implants. Standard of care would be to place the implants under the muscle. Speaking to your surgeon about your expectations is very important. Taking in pictures of breast sizes that you like and also sizes that are too small and/or too large is also very helpful for your surgeon to understand what you are trying to achieve.
+1
Both saline and silicone under the muscle will work
When comparing saline vs silicone implants, the advantage silicone implants have is they look and feel more natural than saline implants. That is not to say saline implants are inferior. It is a matter of patient comfort and choice. When either implant is placed under the muscle, I feel the breast assumes a more natural look and feel.
An important thing to take into account is not choosing an implant that is to large for your body. The larger the implant, the greater the possibility...
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+1
Either implants will work
If you are going to have either implant placed under the muscle, both will feel very natural provided you are not having a very large implant placed behind the muscle ie. greater than 450cc. The point of breast enhancement it to be natural, and both give you the feeling of natural projection provided you pick an implant size for your height and chest size.
Mclean Plastic Surgeon
+1
It depends on the coverage
There are two factors that can make a saline breast augmentation look and feel unnatural. Poor soft tissue coverage, and too large of an implant. It sounds as if you are going with a relatively conservative size of implant relative to your current B cup size. If the lateral coverage (which is not covered by muscle in a typical submuscular augmentation) is poor (try pinching it) you would benefit more from silicone.
+1
Large saline implants feel less natural
The "natural" feel you are asking about is a matter of how large of an implant, compared to your body type, you and your surgeon choose. The larger the implant, the less "natural" the breast will feel after the surgery. Going behind the muscle helps, especially with a saline implant.
Paying attention to the amount of tissue coverage you have and the size of the implant you choose will be very important in how "natural" your breast will look and feel after the...
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+1
Saline implants look very natural and the feel is a little different than gel.
Saline implants will look very natural in a submuscular pocket. Only you can tell if the "feel" natural. In my opinion, the gel implants have a more natural feel in comparison to the saline. In reality, I have hundreds of patient, over the last 15 years, who have saline implants and are thrilled with the shape and feel. Between 1992 and 2007, the only choice was saline for a cosmetic augementation. If the implants did not feel and look natural, you can bet the 350,000 women...
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+1
Yes, most of the time
Looking and feeling "natural" is not a yes or no proposition. I have hundreds of patients with saline implants who are very happy and who certainly feel they are natural "enough". In general, silicone implants feel some what more natural, but I don't think you should put anything inside your body that is going to cause you to worry. Even though silicone implants are safe, some women are afraid of them because of all the bad (even though false) old publicity.
Two ways...
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+1
Silicone implants have been well studied
The comment "saline for safety" needs to be responded to. Silicone implants are one of the most studied devices in the history of medicine. I would look at the independent website for breast implant safety to get more useful information.
+1
Saline breast implants for natural look
The differences between saline and silicone breast implants are:
saline will ripple, you will see it or feel it ( Almost100% of time)
saline will feel like a bag of water, unless you have a LOTS of breast tissue to cover the implant. Deflation rate of saline is about 1% per year.
silicon implants feel more natural
Both implants can give you the shape and size that you want.
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
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