Butt Augmentation Danger

In the last few years, there has been a lot of focus on the aesthetics of the butt. As a result, many people feel that they need butt enhancement procedures to make their backside look much better. There are many options for improving the size and shape of the butt and these include fat transfer and buttock implants. As a way to save money, more patients are looking to non-surgical means, including illegal silicone injections, as a last resort. These injections can cause a variety of complications including pain, infections, tissue hardening, breathing problems, blood clots and death.

The use of silicone injections for various cosmetic procedures is not new at all. Silicone injections were first used for breast augmentation as early as the 1950s but it took a little while before horror stories of side effects surfaced. Patients considering cheap silicone injections need to learn why it is better to go for legitimate operations offered by a plastic surgeon.

• The silicone used in butt enhancement injections is biopolymer silicone. This type of silicone is a non-medical grade and is not approved by the FDA for use in humans. Furthermore, the very fact that the substance is injected into the body in its free form already makes it dangerous regardless of whether it is medical grade or not. Free silicone is much more dangerous than silicone implants because, in the latter, the silicone is contained within a casing. Again, the attraction is due to their cheaper price and the fact that the entire procedure only takes about 30 minutes at the most.

• Because silicone injections are non-FDA approved, they are mostly offered and done by non-licensed practitioners. The silicone they used can be bought anywhere and might not be sterile. 

• Silicone is supposed to stay within the fat tissue once it is injected. However, it can sometimes get into the bloodstream and cause blood clots to form. These clots may block an artery and lead to organ damage. Because the substance used is not sterile, it may cause septic shock which can result in the amputation of the infected body part, and ultimately, death.

• Patients can also suffer from immune problems because silicone injections can compromise the immune response of the body. Silicone, like any other foreign material, is not meant to be floating around in the body. The immune system becomes compromised when the majority of the defense cells are too occupied in getting rid of the foreign material injected in the butt. As the body tries hard to expel the silicone, a strong immune response is elicited and can cause boils, polyps and tissue death.

• Skin hardening can occur as a result of the formation of scar tissue on the surgical area. This complication may also be the effect of exaggerated immune response which impairs the blood supply to the area. The result of disrupted blood supply is the death of the skin tissue.

• Many silicone injections also include glue, cement and tire sealant. Silicone injections are not regulated so black-market practitioners are free to add whatever substance they want to.

• While silicone injections are very easy to perform, it can be quite challenging to flush them out of the system once complications develop. Removal is often very complex and requires one or more operations. A board-certified surgeon is needed for the procedure this time. Anyone who has had silicone injections must seek the help of a licensed medical practitioner who has a lot of experience dealing with this problem in a hospital setting.

Patients should always remember that there are a lot of legitimate options for butt enhancement and they should never settle for something that is not performed by a licensed practitioner. Both butt implant surgery and fat transfer are safe if done by an experienced and board-certified plastic surgeon. Many women choose black-market procedures because they are cheaper and have a shorter recovery time. In the long run, the complications brought about by these illegal procedures will cost them more money and a longer recovery time.