Silicone implants are an alternative to organic substances. Their use, however, is controversial. If incorrectly used, silicone has many potential complications, largely because it is unforgiving. Once silicone is in place, it is permanent. This is good, if properly placed. On the other hand, if a low grade silicone solution or an unnecessarily large amount is used by an unskilled clinician, the error is permanent. This is because silicone is not slowly absorbed by the body as in the case of the organic implants.

Silicone may be perceived by the body as "foreign", and reactions may occur in the form of an allergic granuloma (or bump). Tracking or migration of silicone from one site to another is also a potential problem which results in unsightly bumps away from the area being treated. If high grade medical silicone is injected by a skilled physician, using a microinjection technique, the likelihood of adverse reactions is extremely small. In fact, until recently, silicone implants were undergoing a revival in North America. However, the questionable association with auto immune disease is still unclear to both researchers and lay people. It is for this reason that there is currently a moratorium on the use of injectable silicone.

Gore Tex and SoftForm are remarkably stable agents and allergic reactions are virtually unheard of. Never the less the), are foreign materials and our body's immune system will sometimes wall off foreign matter with a protective fibrous coat or at worst it will try to expel the foreign body In these rare instances the implant would have to be removed.