What are the Plastic Surgery Materials Used?

What are the plastic surgery materials that surgeons use in a face lift or breast augmentation? Are the materials safe? Do they fade or wear out with time? Do they really use plastic? In this article, we tell you what you really need to know.

Plastic Surgery Defined

Plastic Surgery is a surgical sub-specialty that requires doctors to undergo 5 years of residency training after completing medical school. The word Plastic comes from the word “plastikos” which is Greek for “to mold”. Truly, the process of plastic surgery does involve manipulating and “molding” tissue around to suit a specific purpose. There are a lot of known procedures today and each one will require specific materials. What are these materials anyway?

Silicon

Silicon can be molded into various products like tubes or sheets. It is also used in plastic surgery though, specifically in breast augmentation. Silicon is flexible enough so that the breast feels more natural after being implanted. In addition, it does not lose its shape easily. Another advantage of using silicon is that it is harmless to the body. If you have a baby and you’re breastfeeding, then there will be no adverse effects on his or her health. In addition to breast augmentation applications, silicon can also be used for the treatment of a hump nose. Studies have also proven that silicon used for nose lifts will be more natural, safe, and durable too.

Expanded PTFE

The most common application of expanded PTFE is for nasal and chin reconstructions or cosmetic augmentations. The material is very similar to the tissue of the human nose. It’s light, soft, and also harmless to the body. However, you cannot have it taken out anymore once implanted. So, do think carefully about whether you should get a nose lift done or not.

Autogenous Material

In recent years, autogenous material has become more popularly used in plastic surgery too. Plastic surgeons obtain autogenous material from tissues in your own body and subsequently “transplant” it to another site for use. An example is adipose tissue or fat. This is by far, one of the safest plastic surgery materials as you don’t need to implant anything foreign into your body.