Breast implants used for breast enhancement plastic surgery that are FDA approved for placement in the United States are made from basically two manufactures. The outer part of the breast implant device is called the shell. The breast implant shell is constructed of silicone. This silicone is not the silicone 'gel' that had all the controversy raised about it in 1990's. The breast implant shell is a firmer type of silicone. The shell is essentially a bag. The breast implant shell is fairly thick and durable. The shell comes constructed with either two textures, 'smooth' or 'textured'. Smooth shelled breast implants are slippery and can move around if the pocket created for the breast implant during the augmentation plastic surgery is large enough. Textured shelled breast implants are designed not to move.

The breast implant is typically filled with either saline or silicone gel. The breast implant devices that are readily available in the US are saline filled and silicone gel filled devices. The saline breast implants come empty and are filled at the time of surgery after the breast implants have been placed into the body. The great majority of breast enhancement plastic surgeries today are performed using saline filled breast implants. Silicone gel breast implants are also used for breast enhancement. Silicone gel filled breast implants are prefilled and the silicone gel can not be added or removed. Silicone gel implants that are used in the US are done so now as 'unrestricted' use devices, and all women qualify to have them used during her plastic surgery. The only FDA restriction is that women must be 22 years of age to select a silicone gel breast implant.

There have been breast implants made that have two compartments. These two compartment breast implants have both types of fill used in them. Some implants have silicone as the inner compartment and saline as the outer compartment. The saline compartment is filled at the time of surgery. Other two compartment breast implants are reversed, and the saline is on the inside. These saline inner compartments are still filled at the time of surgery. In general, these two compartment devices are very seldom used today.

All types of breast impants come in different sizes. It is not one size breast implant fits all women. The breast implants are designed to fit the width of the woman's chest. At a certain width, a range of volume is recommended.