For years, silicone-filled implants were among the most popular breast augmentations. Then women began experiencing health problems. Thousands sued manufacturers like Dow Corning, blaming leaky implants for immune-system diseases. A stream of studies concluded the implants did not cause these diseases. Still, doctors today use saline-filled implants almost exclusively.
Most women are scared of silicone.
Silicone is an extremely versatile substance used in products ranging from hair defrizzers to tire rubber. But it is prepared differently depending upon its intended use. Medical-grade silicone, for example, is sterile. Such silicone would be used to treat certain retinal detachments in the eye, one of the few approved uses for silicone injections. Industrial-grade silicone is not sterile.