How Many Types of Breast Implants Are There?

When it comes to understanding your options for a breast enhancement procedure, there are multiple options available – both in terms of the technique involved and the material or type of implant used. Here, we will answer your question – how many types of breast implants are there?

Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of breast implants –

1. Natural 

2. Artificial

Natural Breast Implants

Basically, these are made from unwanted or excess fat from other parts of the body. Their use is found in fat grafting procedure for enhancing the breast size. Since they are harvested from within your own body, the chances of your body rejecting them, or complications arising from placing an artificial object inside your chest cavity are minimal. The downside is that they only enhance your breast size by half to one cup size. So, if you are looking for significant enhancement, they are not the way to go. They also cannot be customized according to your needs.

Artificial Breast Implants

As per the latest technology and FDA approvals, silicone-based implants are considered to be the safest implants and are the most commonly used ones. Being artificial, they can be customized as per your requirement. They are of four types -

Saline Implants

Saline implants are artificial implants whose exterior is made up of silicone but are filled with saline water instead of silicone.

Smooth Implants

These are 7th generation implants, made from highly cohesive silicone gel and are entirely transparent. Their outer shell as well as inner filling are both made from silicone gel making them more durable. They provide the most natural shape to your breasts and considerably reduce the risks associated with breast implant procedure such as ALCL (a form of cancer) and capsular contraction (which leads to distortion of the implant’s shape and discomfort).

Nano-Textured Implants

They are made from the same type of silicone as the smooth implants and are also smooth to touch but are translucent to look. The are used to provide a natural look to your breasts and come from the latest technology.

Textured Implant

As the name suggests, these implants have texture on their surface, making them rough to touch and giving a more unnatural look. They are also opaque in look. They are associated with a higher risk of ALCL and capsular contraction.

Breast implants can also be classified by shape –

Tear Drop Implants

These are used to provide a more natural look to your breasts, though they are available in different sizes.

Round Implants

These are used when you want a more ballooned up or rounded look to your breasts. Often considered the aesthetically more pleasing option, they are a very popular shape when it comes to choosing an implant. 

As you can see, the answer to the question – how many types of breast implants are there? – is many. The type of implant to be used for your procedure will be decided during the course of your consultation – by understanding your aesthetic requirement and discussing the pros and cons of each type of implant. 

Please go for a surgeon who uses only FDA approved implants and is board certified.