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

  • Apepollo11@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    FWIW, and I’m only mentioning this because of the phrasing of the question, plastic surgery isn’t named after ‘plastic’ (the noun), but for ‘plastic’ (the adjective). Plastic surgery was used as a term decades before plastic (the noun) was even invented!

    But anyway, to answer your question, people tend not to use silicone in implants so much nowadays, preferring saline instead (as another person said). The main reason is that it is much less problematic if there is a rupture.

    Leaking silicone is not immediately dangerous, but does need to be removed - which is difficult as it can squidge about under other tissues, causing mischief as it goes. Saline, by comparison, will just get absorbed by the body, usually harmlessly.

    • sbeak@sopuli.xyzOP
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      2 days ago

      Ah okay that makes much more sense. Interesting, I did not know that!

      • agentTeiko@piefed.social
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        2 days ago

        Also it can also be plastic surgery by using metel. Have a buddy with a titanium plate in his forehead to build it back his skull after shrapnel blew out his eye socket. I was so impressed by their work. They saved his eye somewhat and you can barely tell he had work done other than it tans weird.