Silicone injections have been popular for quite some time. Thanks to celebrities, pop culture, and feminine beauty standards, silicone injections are widely used in fillers for augmentation or correction procedures of the human body. Results from such medical operations differ depending on your natural body’s response to the new chemicals or the person performing the surgery. If you’re considering getting silicone injections, please consult a licensed medical professional before finalizing your decision. Nonetheless, here are all you must know about silicone injections – what they are, pricing and risks.
What are silicone injections?
Silicone is an artificial substance that consists of silicon, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. However, it is safe and used in many everyday products, like silicone phone cases or coating for keyboards and computers. Since it is non-toxic, it is also widely used in cosmetic and surgical procedures, mainly as implants for breasts and buttocks. Unlike other cosmetic fillers, the human body does not break down or absorb silicone and permanently stays inside your body.
The main element used in these injections is the Silikon 1000, a medical-grade silicone oil that is also FDA-approved. Silicon 1000 is injectable and used for treating retinal detachment. However, despite its primary usage for ophthalmology, under-the-table cosmetic procedures use silicon injections for fuller lips, remove acne scars, and reshape the nose and the hollowness under the eyes. Unfortunately, silicone injection procedures can often go wrong, and people start experiencing adverse side effects.
The good thing is that they can still manage to undo the harmful side effects by getting silicone injections removal by a trusted professional.
How is silicone injected?
When injecting silicone for facial fillers, minimal amounts must be added, not exceeding 1cc. The procedure usually takes place across one or more treatments to inject silicone gradually rather than all at once. Silicone injection procedures typically use the microdroplet technique. Through this technique, liquid silicone is slowly injected around the concerned tissue. After its injected, silicone prompts the growth of collagen around that tissue.
It is crucial to note that board-certified dermatologists and surgeons don’t recommend injecting silicone in large amounts. Whether for breast implants, buttock augmentation, or body contouring, never opt for silicone injections through an under-the-table procedure or an unknown medical facility. Significant health risks are associated with unauthorized procedures that outweigh the affordability and use of silicone injections.
Risks and Side effects of silicone injections
Injecting foreign chemicals into your body for augmentation or correction is unsafe, no matter the need. Therefore, such medical procedures are often the last resort of doctors. Most people opt for silicone injections rather than hyaluronic-acid fillers because the former bears permanence, whereas the latter is temporary. However, the permanence of silicone injections does not mean the results from the procedure would have a long-lasting impact.
Liquid silicone tends to break down and spread to other body parts from where injected. The human body cannot deal with foreign chemicals like silicone. When these are injected, the body may have severe reactions that can be life-threatening. When the silicone moves to other parts of the body, it can cause dysregulation in contouring, nodules, sagging, dimpling, rashes, severe pain, and even necrosis.
The silicone migration doesn’t happen to every person who gets a procedure. However, the FDA does warn regarding its health implications. Silicone can damage blood vessels and organs like the brain, lungs, or heart. If the silicone removal procedure isn’t timely, permanent tissue damage could lead to stroke or even death.
Even during non-surgical nose jobs, silicone tampering or blocking the blood vessels inside the nose is risky. Other health implications from silicone injections include infection, scarring, chronic pain, inflammation, and permanent disfigurement or damage. In addition, it is very common for some people to develop inflamed tissues that become lumps, and granulomas or cause muscle impairment and organ dysfunction.
- Alternatives to silicone injections
Many reliable and safe options are available as an alternative to silicone injections. You should consult a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon regarding the surgery or treatment you seek.
- Facial region
For volumizing or contouring the facial region, you can opt for injecting temporary fillers into the body. These filters help in plumping, contouring, and volumizing the face. Since these are temporary, they last for around two years and get absorbed by your body naturally over time. There are also procedures to plump the face through fat transfers from other body parts, like volumizing cheeks, fixing hollows under the eyes, or treating sunken facial areas.
- Implants
Butt or breast implants are one of the most common cosmetic procedures, with butt implants having a high mortality rate. Solid-silicone implants inserted into the buttocks through surgical procedures help enlarge the size of the buttocks and improve their shape. A very common surgery, called the Brazilian butt lift, improves the size and shape of the buttocks by transferring fat from some other part of your body. Through liposuction, the surgeon will remove fat from some other body part and place it in the butt.
Despite being popular, it has the highest mortality rate of one death for every 3000 procedures. If you’re interested in butt implants, make sure you have consulted and selected a board-certified surgeon who knows what they’re doing. Better to opt for a surgeon with years of experience in butt augmentation. Some surgeons also use Sculptra, an off-label filler, for augmenting the buttocks. It stays in the body for two to three years. However, since a large quantity is needed for good results, it is an expensive procedure.
Conclusion
You have to be very careful when getting a silicone injection procedure. Since silicone can break down and travel to other areas of your body, it can be harmful. Looking good doesn’t have to come with a price for your life; there are certainly better and safer options to look and feel your best self. Still, if you’ve gotten ahead with a procedure and are facing side effects, consult a silicon injection removal professional as early as possible.
