What is silicone?

We use silicone every day. Silicones are made from silicon, a naturally occurring element found in sand, quartz and rock. Next to oxygen, silicon is the most common element in the earth’s crust, and becomes silicone when it is combined with oxygen, carbon and hydrogen.

Silicones can be manufactured in a variety of forms, including oils, gels and solids. They have been part of the consumer marketplace for over 50 years and are used in everyday products such as hair sprays, baby dummies, suntan lotions and moisturising creams. Silicones are also used in medical devices like artificial joints, catheters, facial implants, tissue expanders and breast implants. Silicone products have been shown to be biocompatible, reliable, flexible and easy to sterilise, making them an ideal choice for both implants and non-implantable medical devices. Silicone can take many forms, from liquid to oil to near solid state. The graphic below shows the spectrum of silicone, and where the silicone in breast implants fits. Silicone gel-filled implants have been available in Australia Canada since 2006 when they were licensed for sale by Health Canada when they were included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, and are an effective option for women undergoing breast augmentation or revision surgery.