Deflation specifically refers to saline implants. If the shell develops a leak, the salt water escapes and is harmlessly absorbed by the body, causing the implant — and that breast — to lose volume.
What you notice
- A relatively sudden decrease in size on one side.
- A change in shape or a wrinkled, empty feel.
- Usually obvious, unlike silent silicone rupture.
Is it dangerous?
The leaked saline itself is not harmful — it is the same salt water found naturally in the body. The main issues are the cosmetic change and the need for surgery to replace the implant. Because deflation is obvious, it is detected far sooner than silicone rupture.
Treatment is implant replacement.