In 2014, 80 percent of all breast implants in the United States were silicone implants, and the other 20 percent were saline implants. While the data makes it clear that the majority of women prefer silicone to saline, there are still a number of important reasons why someone may choose to go down the saline route. According to our BHP breast augmentation experts, there are three major reasons why saline implants may be a better option for some women considering breast augmentation:

• They’re More Affordable – While the cost of a procedure can vary from patient to patient, each silicone implant is more expensive than the saline equivalent. This is due simply to the fact that silicone itself is more difficult to manufacture than saline, which at its core is simply salt water.
• More Customizable – While silicone implants are pre-filled and only come in a select number of sizes, saline implants are custom filled for each procedure so that our skilled surgeons can use their artistic eye to fill each implant to the perfect amount for each patient. Since every patient is different, our doctors never take a one size fits all approach to cosmetic surgery.
• And Available to More Patients– While silicone implants are only approved by the FDA for cosmetic use in women age 22 or older, saline implants are approved for anyone 18 and up. Many patients who do not want to wait four whole years to get implants will opt for saline implants and find that they like them just as well.

When it comes to choosing a breast augmentation procedure, there are advantages to both saline and silicone. The reason that the majority of women opt for silicone implants is that many of them report the implants feeling more natural than saline alternatives. Yet, for the reasons listed above, saline still remains a popular option nationwide.

Whatever option a patient may go with, it is vital that she have her procedure done at a reputable medical group like BHP. Unlike purely medical procedures, cosmetic procedures are not measured simply on success or failure. As with anything judged based on artistic considerations, cosmetic procedures have a sliding scale of success and can achieve better and better results with the most skilled doctors.