Health & Wellness

Silicone Injection Safety Alert: Risks You Need to Know

So you’re thinking of getting silicone injections to enhance your curves or fill in wrinkles? Think again. Silicone injections may seem like an easy fix, but they come with risks that aren’t worth it. As an unregulated procedure, untrained practitioners can perform silicone injections using industrial-grade silicone. This silicone isn’t meant for the human body and can travel through your tissues, damaging cells and organs. 

The allure of a quick beauty fix is natural, but so are the risks. Don’t fall for the hype – your health is essential. There are safer alternatives if you want to enhance your appearance, so research and make the right choice.

What Are Silicone Injections?

Silicone Injection Safety

It is a cosmetic procedure that involves injecting silicone into body parts like the breasts, buttocks, hips, or thighs. 

The silicone migrates from the injection site, causing hardening of surrounding tissue. This can lead to disfigurement, scarring, and even organ damage. Sometimes, the silicone can enter the bloodstream, accumulating in the lungs, lymph nodes, and other vital organs.

The results of silicone injections are unpredictable and irreversible. The silicone can cause lumps, asymmetry, and infection, and the recipient will ultimately require silicone injections removal treatment to prevent further complications. In severe cases, multiple surgeries are needed to repair the damage. 

1. Silicone Mastitis

Silicone mastitis, or inflammation of breast tissue caused by silicone injections, is a hazardous side effect. The silicone filler material can leak into surrounding tissue, causing pain, swelling, and disfigurement.

Once this happens, the most effective treatment is silicon injection removal. However, in less severe cases, doctors may prescribe steroids or antibiotics to reduce inflammation, but these only provide temporary relief. The damage caused by silicone injections tends to be permanent.

 2. Tissue Death

Tissue death is one of the most dangerous risks of silicone injections. The silicone material can migrate from the injection site and become trapped in surrounding tissues like fat and muscle. Your body sees this trapped silicone as a foreign substance and attacks it, damaging nearby tissues.

This tissue damage usually happens slowly, as your body’s immune system continually assaults the silicone. You may not notice any symptoms for months or even years after your injections. Some signs to watch out for include:

  • Stiff, painful lumps under the skin at the injection site.
  • Muscle weakness or loss of sensation. The silicone can put pressure on or damage nerves.
  • Difficulty moving the area. Scar tissue can build up, restricting mobility.

The tissue death and damage from silicone injections are often permanent. Treatment options aim to relieve symptoms and prevent further harm but won’t reverse existing necrosis or restore lost tissues. 

3. Permanent disfigurement

Silicone injections may seem like an easy cosmetic fix, but silicone does not remain in place once injected. It can move into surrounding tissues, collecting in uneven clumps, creating a lumpy, uneven appearance under the skin.

Silicone can also become encapsulated, enclosing the silicone in a tough fibrous capsule. This capsule then tightens and squeezes the tissues around it, impairing muscle movement or circulation.

Removing migrated or encapsulated silicone from the body without damaging surrounding tissues is rugged. The damage caused by silicone migration may start subtly but worsen over months and years. 

4. Chronic Pain

Long-term pain is one of silicone injections’ most common and debilitating side effects. Over time, the silicone can harden, shift position, or become uneven under the skin. This can lead to chronic inflammation, scarring, and pain that persists for years after the initial injections.

  • Hardened silicone deposits, known as granulomas, can form painful lumps under the skin that are difficult to remove. Additional surgery may be required to extract these deposits, but they often recur.
  • An autoimmune reaction may develop where the body’s immune system attacks its tissues in response to the foreign silicone. This can lead to joint pain, muscle pain, and fatigue that comes and goes.
  • Scar tissue builds up around silicone deposits, tightening and hardening over the years. This can limit mobility, cause a loss of sensation, and lead to chronic discomfort. Additional surgeries to remove scar tissue provide only temporary relief.

5. Skin Discoloration

The silicone filler material can leak or migrate from the injection site, causing dark scars and uneven skin tone. Sometimes, silicone granulomas – hard lumps under the skin – may also form, damaging blood vessels and connective tissue.

These silicone granulomas often appear as dark, swollen lumps and patches under the skin. An autoimmune reaction to the silicone material in the body causes them. The skin around the granulomas frequently becomes discolored and thin.

Additional surgeries may be required to remove the granulomas and correct skin discoloration. However, the discoloration and damage may be permanent, depending on severity.

6. Nodule Formation

Over time, the silicone filler material can shift and clump together under the skin, forming noticeable nodules. These lumps may cause pain and discomfort and negatively impact your appearance.

Unfortunately, these nodules are difficult to remove and often require surgical excision. The more silicone injected, the higher the risk of developing disfiguring nodules.

Only get injections from a licensed and reputable plastic surgeon to minimize the risk of nodule formation. They will adequately purify and prepare the silicone before injection to reduce risks.

However, there is always a possibility of nodules developing, no matter the skill or expertise of the injector. 

7. Vascular Embolization

Vascular embolization refers to blockages in the blood vessels caused by silicone particles migrated from the injection site.

The silicone can travel through the bloodstream and become trapped in the tiny capillaries of the lungs, brain, kidneys, and other organs. This blocks oxygen and nutrients from reaching tissues, which can lead to organ damage or failure over time.

The only way to remove vascular emboli and minimize damage is through a procedure known as embolectomy, where a catheter is inserted into the blood vessels to extract the silicone clots and particles. Multiple embolectomies may be required to clear the blockages fully. 

Conclusion

So there you have it, the harsh truth about illegal silicone injections. Don’t believe the hype and promises of an instant fix – your health and safety should be the top priority here.

These procedures are hazardous, and the risks far outweigh any potential benefits to your appearance. Before getting silicon injections, talk to a doctor about safe and legal options for cosmetic procedures. Your life is too valuable to put at risk over societal pressures to look a certain way. Choose to be healthy and happy from the inside out.

Related Articles

Back to top button