Getting breast implants is one of the most exciting, and most confusing, things that a woman will embark on. Women who have struggled with feeling inadequate or not feminine enough for years because of small breasts, or even because of breast imperfections, can now correct it surgically.

It used to be that breast augmentation meant having fake looking, unnatural “beachball” like orbs on one’s chest. Now though, we have some of the best options form breast implant makers like Inamed, Mentor (maker of Natrelle gummy bear or cohesive gel implants), and Allergan, to get the most natural looking implants on the market.

Also, there are some of the best plastic surgeons who have literally done hundreds or even thousands of the surgeries. There are a lot of expert surgeons out there who can really make your breasts look fantastic, natural, and give you the best surgical outcome you could hope for (aside from using a natural breast implant alternative).

Also, a more natural looking and feeling breast implant is back on the market. A great surgeon can only do so much. The implant itself is also a very important choice to make. If you combine the best and highest quality natural looking implant with the best and most expert surgeon, you’ve got a winning combination.

The silicone implant, after well over a decade hiatus of availability, is back on the market and available to women wanting the best breast implants available. However, even though silicone has been lauded as the more natural option, it comes with increased risks of its own.

Not that saline implants, which contain a totally inert, harmless substance in them which cannot cause issues if a leak sprung, don’t come with risks of their own. With saline implants though, it’s really about the risk of just getting the surgery in the first place.

They also tend more toward rippling, which is where you get the rippled-looking effect on the sides of the breasts, because they lose a bit of volume every year and are not as taught. Saline implants also do need to be replaced once every decade approximately, just like silicone.

With silicone, more women tend to experience complications and capsular contracture, although these are still relatively rare occurrences, they are a bit higher with women who have the silicone. While they need to be replaced every ten years as well, the “deflation” factor may be a little less than with saline since the material is more gel-like.

The longer you go after ten years, the more likely it is you will have complications, with any type of implant you choose. Even the best, most expensive types of implant devices are not built for the long haul. They break down in the body’s volatile environment, and need to be replaced just like anything else.

Let’s talk a bit more about cohesive, or gummy bear breast implants. These are still hard to come by, as they have not yet gone through the entire rigorous FDA approval process for wide patient usage. Instead, you may only get them if you are fortunate enough to locate a plastic surgeon who is participating in patient trials with these cohesive gel implants.

There may even be wait lists, depending on where you go, or you may not be able to find a doctor at all in your area that is participating in the trials. You can still get “regular” silicone breast implants though, pretty much anywhere, you will just pay a premium for the implant itself since they are more expensive for the surgeons to purchase.

Cohesive implants are considered to be a superior product and the best breast implant option by some surgeons, for their ability to stay put, ease of insertion, and their resistance to leakage. However, they still may not be widely available to the public for some years, depending on how the trials are going.

Other advantages of cohesive or gummy bear implants appears to be that they resist folding and rippling, are resistant to scar tissue formation around the implant, and tend to hold their shape better than saline or regular silicone implants.

The disadvantages to the cohesive implants is that they may feel a bit firmer than traditional silicone implants. They also cost more than saline and regular silicone devices. Over the long haul, it is thought that due to their cohesive nature, they may be prone to cracking or breaking up, although that is not clear yet.

When it comes to making the decision on which type of implant is best for you, there are quite a few options you must consider. First and foremost, make sure you get a great doctor that you feel comfortable with and who has excellent points of reference. This will ease your transition into the new you.

The choice of implant is really secondary to this, but also important, and a good doctor will help guide you to the right device and the right shape and material that will give you the best, most natural, beautiful outcome you could hope for.