In some cosmetic surgeries, plastics like silicone are added to make the face or other parts of the body appear larger. But where does the plastic go? Does it go under the skin layers, between skin layers, or above them? Do they cover nerve endings (i.e. is there a sense of touch), do they restrict things like blood vessels? If somebody with an implant were to get injured near the area they had stuff injected in, would the plastic show up, or pour out, and would this injury heal itself? Is the consistency of it more liquid, solid, or kind of jello-like?

For the record, I am not interested in these cosmetic surgeries. I’ve always found surgeries that have no medical benefit to be very silly, as it’s an additional risk for no real benefit.

edit: I have been informed that plastic surgery does not necessarily mean actual plastics, and the term has existed before the material was a thing! And apparently, silicone is less common since it is difficult to clean up when it leaks, and saline (mildly salty water, similar in concentration to salt in the blood) is now used instead since it is easily absorbed into the body

  • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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    2 days ago

    It depends on the implant.

    Generally, they’ll be placed in a way that avoids interfering with nerves or blood supply. When it does happen, that’s a failure, not a normal part of the process.

    Something like facial implants are usually solid (always, afaik, but I ain’t sith enough to deal in absolutes) rather than injected. You do have injections for cosmetics, but those tend to be into the lips almost exclusively.

    The kind of injections that go into lips wouldn’t spill out after an injury. They use materials that aren’t liquid. Even the grotesque versions you see sometimes aren’t just bags of liquid under the skin.

    Where you run into liquids, it’s going to be breasts and asses for the most part. The saline based ones will spill out if the “bag” they’re in ruptures. It’s just salty water, more or less, inside a sac.

    Silicone implants are more of a gel, and thus wouldn’t “spill” in the same way, but if the container is ruptured can seep out into the body. It’s kinda like a thick jello in consistency, to use your own example.

    But it is difficult to rupture the containers. They can be pierced, obviously, but enough force to just pop one is also enough force that you have other things to worry about.

    Now, all of that assumes legal procedures. There are people out there that will essentially shoot caulk into their victims. And you’ll find some fucked up fakers that will do incorrect versions of otherwise safe-ish medical procedures, like transferring one’s fat from one place in the body to another.

    And it’s important to note that there are procedures out there that do involve stuff that might match what you’re asking a bit closer, but they’re not exactly common

    • sbeak@sopuli.xyzOP
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      2 days ago

      I think I understand now, dang, this is a pretty deep topic. Did not know that different parts of the body usually use different materials, but that makes sense I think