Breast Implants: Saline vs Silicone

In 1992, responding to claims that silicone gel-filled breast implants had harmed tens of thousands of women, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the marketing of the devices for breast augmentation.

Fourteen years and mountains of safety data later, the FDA relaxed its stance, approving two manufacturers' applications to market silicone gel-filled implants for breast augmentation once again. The implants had remained available for breast reconstruction following mastectomy, as well as for women enrolled in certain clinical trials, throughout the ban. Saline-filled implants stayed on the market all along, used with FDA approval for either breast augmentation or breast reconstruction.

Not surprisingly, the rise and fall of the ban on silicone gel-filled breast implants left many women with unanswered questions. What are the risks of breast-augmentation surgery, and are those risks increased with either type of implant? How do you choose between silicone gel-filled and saline-filled implants? Here Molly Walsh, D.O., a plastic surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., explains some of the differences between these two types of breast implants.

• Who can get silicone gel-filled breast implants?

Silicone gel-filled breast implants are available to women age 22 and older for breast augmentation, or women of any age for breast reconstruction. This includes primary surgery to put breast implants into place and also revision surgery to correct or improve prior implant placement.



Why the age restriction on silicone gel-filled implants for breast augmentation? One reason is because a woman's breast tissue continues to develop into her early 20s. But the age restriction is a bit arbitrary. FDA officials felt that at age 22, most women could make a fully informed decision about getting breast implants — including the risks and ongoing costs associated with the procedure.

• Who can get saline-filled breast implants?

Like their silicone gel-filled counterparts, saline-filled breast implants carry an age restriction for use in breast augmentation. But in this case, you have to be at least age 18 to get saline-filled breast implants for breast augmentation. Saline-filled breast implants are available for women of any age for breast reconstruction.



FDA officials say the age restrictions for saline-filled and silicone gel-filled breast implants differ because the two types of breast implants carry different risks.

• What's the difference between the two types of breast implants?

The two types of breast implants differ in material and consistency. Saline-filled breast implants consist of a silicone shell that's filled with saline during implant surgery, after the shell has been inserted and is in place.

Silicone gel implants also consist of a silicone outer shell, but they're pre-filled with a silicone gel rather than saline. Silicone gel has a viscosity — a thick, sticky fluid consistency — that closely mimics human fat, which is a large component of female breast tissue. Saline, on the other hand, isn't compressible and gives a more firm impression.


Some women claim that silicone gel-filled breast implants look and feel more like natural breast tissue. Saline-filled implants have been criticized for feeling hard or unnatural, although improved surgical techniques — such as placing the implant behind the chest muscle and slightly overfilling it — have lessened these complaints.

• How does the plastic surgeon decide whether the implant will be placed behind the chest muscle (subpectoral) or with the breast tissue (subglandular)?

A combination of factors is considered when determining implant placement, including:

* Anatomy of your breasts, including amount of breast tissue
* Type of implant: saline or silicone gel
* Size of the implant

• What are the risks of breast implants?

Both saline-filled and silicone gel-filled breast implants have risks, including:

* Implant rupture
* Need for additional breast surgery
* Scar tissue that hardens around and distorts the breast implant (capsular contracture)
* Breast pain
* Decreased nipple or breast sensation
* Infection

If you have saline-filled implants, implant deflation may be a concern. If you have silicone gel-filled implants, a rupture could mean that silicone gel leaks outside of the implant's silicone shell. However, there's no evidence that free gel poses any risks beyond

those of an intact silicone shell — and neither one leads to autoimmune disease. That's why the FDA re-approved the use of silicone gel-filled implants.


Thanx to the Mayo Clinic staff.
www.mayoclinic.com

Must Have: Perfect Nails

Strong nails that grow fast? This is every woman's dream. Find out what you have to do to get beautiful nails

picture source: nailsandbeautyacademy.co.uk

In order to be able to boast about your nails, you have to make them healthy. The lacks of hydration or, on the contrary, too much exposure to moisture make you nails become very fragile, especially at their tops. Heat, detergents, and the nail polish remover are the worst enemies of your healthy nails. If you are not able to wear protective gloves each time you wash the dishes, immediately after doing it you should use a hydrating lotion for hands. Try not to keep your hands in the water for a long time when you wash the dishes, swim, or even when you take a bath. Nails have the capacity to absorb 20-25 % of their weight when in water, and constrict when dry. If this process repeats often, your nails become weaker. Nevertheless, beyond prevention, there are also natural solutions to revive problem nails:

• Once or twice a day offer your nails and fingers an olive oil massage. Dwell on your cuticles and sides of your nails. Massaging improves blood flow at the nail level, and it works like a medicine.

• Heat up some till oil and use it as a nail mask. Leave it work for about 15-20 minutes and then wash it with warm water. Apply this treatment once at most twice a week. Do not forget that too much hydration for your nails make them week.

• Wear you nails short for a couple of weeks, to help the recovery process. The shorter they are, the risk to tear them becomes smaller.

• For hydration, choose a lotion rich in urea and lactic acid, an ideal treatment in nail treatment.

picture source: collegepublisher.com

• If you have torn cuticles or small wounds at you nails, then the usual manicure treatments can lead to infections. A handy way to treat this is massaging your nails with worm honey for 15-29 minutes. Honey works against bacteria, and prevents any potential infection. Apply this treatment at night, before going to bed.

• Allow your nails to breathe. Try not to use nail polish for at least a month. For more severe cases, you may even need three months. Not only that nail polish dries the nails, but also the remover attacks their roots.

• If you want you nails whiter, apply a pledged with some apple vinegar on each nail and massage them. Another way is to treat your nails with a mild solution of peroxide hydrogen, once a week.

picture source: uamodels.net

• For stronger nails, use a garlic paste for a couple of minutes a day.

• If you have a nail polish addiction, use this treatment for nail strengthening: add 8 drops of lemon, 5 drops of iodine in a bottle of taintless nail polish. Blend it and leave it for a day or so. Then apply it in a thin layer every day for 7 days. Then remove the nail varnish.

picture source: nailrooms.co.uk

• To get stronger nails, try a diet which consists in foods rich in vitamin B, like cauliflower, peanuts and duckweed. Have these vegetables fresh at least twice a day. Absorbed vitamin B encourages the development of strong and healthy nails. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend an appropriate product.

• If you want your nail polish to dry faster, apply a thin layer of baby oil too.

Did you know that...?

• nails grow about an eighth of a centimeter a month;
• fingernails develop faster than toenails;
• if you are right-handed, the nails from your right hand grow faster than the ones from your left hand; the reverse is valid for left-handed ;
• nails grow faster during summer and pregnancy;
• after 35 years old, nails tend to become naturally more fragile.

Trendy 2009 Hair Cuts

Cropped bob was ruling all through 2008 with many A-listers cutting their hair shorter and setting this trend onand off the red carpet. As for the upcoming 2009, generally, the trends will remain similar with slight changesadded to the overall tendency. In short, forget about bob, try something more extreme - extremely short, extremelygirly, extremely sexual or extremely slick.



Cropped bob


However, if you still think bob rocks, add a new touch to your look by making it a cropped bob, which is somethingin the middle between a pixie crop and a bob. Cropped bob is the IT! thing for a confident lady as it’s pretty attention grabbing.

Pixie Crop


Yes, Victoria Beckham & Katie Holmes are trend setters! They introduced pixie bob in 2008 and the trend seems to be still in fashion in 2009. The challenge of pixie bob is simply this - it must always be well styled, otherwise it might create a tired middle-aged housewife look, which is totally not your dream look.

Long hair - ultimate 2009 trend


The ultimate 2009 hair cut trend is long hair. And with long hair, that’s practically good for any face shape and body, you can try several options.

Go voluminous


Go straight and sleek


Go retro with 1940s waves

source:http://www.glamourvanity.com