Saline vs Silicone ... rippling, skin warmth, fitting in a bra

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MountainHiker
MountainHiker Member Posts: 9
edited November 2014 in Breast Reconstruction

Hi sisters. Surgery approaching!  I'd be grateful to hear your experiences with saline vs silicone implants, with respect to:

 

-- rippling

-- warmth of breast skin

-- integrity of the pocket-bottom (I've had previous larger implants drop several cm because the pocket didn't hold)

-- softness of breast (being able to fit into a formed bra cup, but still also look natural when wearing a stretch-cup bra)

-- anything else I should be thinking of???

 

I'm 5 ft 7 in, 120 pounds, with very thin skin.  I had BMX in 2011 (no radiation or chemo), and my current implants are 140cc gummy bears. In a couple of weeks, I will have surgery to replace them with round implants (either regular silicone or saline) in the 160cc to 200cc range. It bothers me that my breast skin is cool/cold to the touch with silicone implants.  (It was warm like the rest of my skin when I had the saline TEs.)  But my PS thinks I would have noticeable rippling with saline implants.

 

I'd especially like to hear from you if you have implants that are approximately 250cc or smaller: how your silicone or saline implants feel/look in the areas I listed above.

 

Thank you so much, friends!

P.S. The gummy bears are the wrong shape for me; my previous round silicones looked much more natural in their shape/slope. Also, the gummy bears are firmer than I'd like... With most padded bras the upper pole of the cup collapses.  I don't expect to be able to wear a push-up bra, but filling a uniformly-padded bra would be nice.


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  • DiveCat
    DiveCat Member Posts: 968
    edited November 2014

    I do not have experience with saline, though I do know there are women on here who have had both, I have Allergan Natrelle Inspiras (in Canada) at 435ccs. I am the same size post-op as I was pre-op (30E)

    I do have some rippling, and I have more on the right side. There is a bit when standing, and a lot when leaned over. For this is is primarily due to thin skin in that area. I am relatively thin to start with, so that does not help. I am actually switching to anatomicals in February or March to try and reduce this, so going the opposite direction of you! Many women though do go for fat grafting to try and resolve this (it was an option for me presented by my PS, but I have chosen to try the anatomicals instead).

    I do understand saline is more prone to rippling, which is why silicone is usually preferred for reconstruction. This is going to be more of a concern if you do have thinner skin.

    I don't find my breasts cold or cool to touch. And I can assure you I am normally the one who wears long sleeves and/or sweaters in July so do not run very hot to start with. Maybe they are a bit cooler and I just am oblivious, but they certainly aren't cold nor is it something I notice (obviously). I do know some women do experience more coolness though.

    I have Alloderm slings at the bottom, and wear supportive bras, and have not had any issues with the integrity at the bottom of my breasts. They look great, in that respect.

    They are quite moveable, though not as soft as my natural breasts were, and I always wear bras and have no issue scoop and swooping them into bra cups. I don't really wear formed cup bras and definitely not padded bras, but do wear lots of unlined bras and they fit well. Of course, you should also learn what bras work well for your shape (see Bras 101 thread). My recon breasts, though the same cup size as my natural breasts were, are shallower so I had to find bras that fit a shallower projection...and found myself in totally different brands and styles than I used to wear. I do have one shallower "molded" but not padded cup bra that fits well. With clothing on, they really look pretty much how I looked before in a supportive bra. The difference is these stay in that sameplace more when I am NOT in a bra.

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited November 2014

    Hi, MountainHiker - I've had my 700cc salines in for over two years. Those are quite a bit bigger than the 160 - 200cc range you mentioned!!!!

    My PS only does salines, for several reasons... one being that the incision to insert a saline implant can be very tiny, as they are inserted completely deflated, and then filled to perfect symmetry once inside you. He is certified to use silicone but chooses not to.

    As far as your questions go..

    -- rippling: I have absolutely no visible ripples. If I am soaking in my deep tub, I can feel small ""knuckles" and "dents" that move under the breast near the IMF, but are not visible when I'm standing up.

    -- warmth of breast skin: My implants are always the same temperature as my body. They have never felt cooler than the rest of me.

    -- integrity of the pocket-bottom (I've had previous larger implants drop several cm because the pocket didn't hold: I had quite a bit of pocket work done at Exchange, so my implants are still settled nicely into my IMF. He made sure the girls weren't going anywhere!

    -- softness of breast (being able to fit into a formed bra cup, but still also look natural when wearing a stretch-cup bra: I do have issues with fitting into a formed cup bra, because I did not have nipple/areola reconstruction, and my breast mound is therefore flatter. I do fit very well into some of the better-made bras (three-part cups) and stretch-cup bras. I can "scoop and swoop" the girls into each cup for proper fit, so that underwires never impinge upon them. They are really easy to move and position within a bra cup.

    -- anything else I should be thinking of? I think you you will find that the majority of women here have silicone implants. There is a huge variety of shapes and sizes and configurations, and most PSs will use silicone. Also, you have a slender build, and it seems that most women with your shape are happier with silicone. I remember some of us Saline gals were referred to as "Bodacious"...

    Like DiveCat said, be sure to check out whippetmom's Breast Implant Sizing 101 Thread! We're lucky to have her expertise here on BCO.

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  • MountainHiker
    MountainHiker Member Posts: 9
    edited November 2014

    Thank you, DiveCat and Blessings2011! Sorry for my delayed reply here; I was out of town Sunday-Monday. I'll write more below.

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  • MountainHiker
    MountainHiker Member Posts: 9
    edited November 2014

    Computer problems... argghhh! I finished my full reply and just lost it! Will try again later today.

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  • MountainHiker
    MountainHiker Member Posts: 9
    edited November 2014

    Oh, DiveCat -- I'm so sorry for your losses with your family history of breast cancer! Praying now for a full, healthy life for you. And for strength for your mother. Encouragement and love for your whole family.

    I'm finding your full reply very helpful. I was able to read it before I saw my PS again. You mention the rippling, especially when leaning over. My previous silicone implants did the same, but not noticeably when I was standing. My PS said that I'd certainly have rippling with saline -- and said it might not show up initially, but would become pronounced after some time. I haven't noticed ANY rippling with my current anatomicals, so I hope you find the same with your upcoming switch! Our thin skin presents challenges!

    I'm encouraged that you don't notice coolness. Maybe I can adjust mentally!

    As for pocket bottoms, I'm beginning to think it depends a lot on how the PS did the initial surgery. PS#1 had a low-placement style, which I noticed in his office photos AFTER my surgery. PS#1 tried to raise them in a subsequent surgery, but they didn't hold. In time, I switched to a new PS. PS#2 really listens, and said my best chance of having higher pockets was to start over (a 2-surgery process again, with TEs first and implants following). PS#2 was right! Now that the pockets have stayed up for a year and a half, I don't want to risk having them drop...

    After I just saw PS#2, our plans are to use silicone in my upcoming surgery. She will try to use to use the smooth implants, since that gives a higher projection, but will have textured implants on hand if she judges that the smooth would slip UP in the pockets.

    smooth 20-180 has diameter 9.6 and projection 3.8

    textured 120-180 has diameter 9.4 and projection 3.3

    I find it odd that Allergan has shaped them differently even though they both have the same projection description of "20." 

    I will look at the Bras 101 thread again, thanks for the reminder.  I guess we all live with "shallower" projection!

    Thank you again for all the encouragement in adjusting!

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  • MountainHiker
    MountainHiker Member Posts: 9
    edited November 2014

    Thanks for your helpful and full reply, Blessings2011.  You were diagnosed just a few weeks after I was... and my BMX was also in 2011.  I'll have to figure out how to have my surgery info show as a "footer" like everyone else. I'm glad I was able to read your reply before I saw my PS, and so was able to ask more detailed questions about saline.  (See above in my reply to DiveCat.)

    Wow! So good that you don't have ripples! And you have the warmth of the saline which can circulate inside.

    So even with saline, you have a flatter breast mound. I had thought perhaps the saline would be able to conform better to the inside of a bra cup... thank you for pointing that out (no pun intended! Ha!).  I'll look in Bras 101, since I don't know what a three-part bra is. (And again at Breast Implant Sizing 101. Yes, whippetmom was the first person I turned to with questions -- she was SO helpful!!!)

    Your remark about the Saline gals makes me smile!  I'm grateful for your help and your cheerful attitude -- thanks for replying!

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