Medical grade silicone is a class of clinically-tested products designed to interact safely with the human body in a medical setting. The many uses and forms of medical silicone make it difficult to define and classify. But before it can be applied medically, it must pass rigorous FDA standards. Because medical silicone is safe and durable, it can be engineered for short-term or long-term use. Such items like tubes, dental retainers, implants, respiratory masks, and gel sheets for scar therapy all contain medical grade silicone. Silicone gel sheeting, in particular, has recently incited overwhelming enthusiasm by surgeons and dermatologists around the world and will be considered at greater length in this article.

Continue reading to learn all about the origins and uses of silicone and to discover clinically-proven ways to reduce post-operative scars using medical grade silicone.

Where does silicone come from?

Before we arrive at anything like the many applications of medical grade silicone, we must first start with the humble origins of the silicon element. Silicon is the second most abundant element on earth, making up more than 25% of the earth’s crust. Commonly, silicon can be found in nature as silicon dioxide, the main constituent of quartz. The atomic element silicon (Si) is located in the carbon group, numbered 14, on the periodic table of elements. Silicon is a hard, brittle metalloid with a bluish-metal luster and crystalline structure. As a metalloid, it contains properties exhibited by metals and nonmetals. By itself, silicon isn’t a very reactive substance, meaning it’s harmless and plays well with other elements. Silicon is a good semiconductor and is used profusely in computers and other electronic devices

Silicon as a naturally-occurring substance is different than its big brother, silicone (also known as polysiloxane). Silicone is a synthetic compound created when silicon atoms link to oxygen to form a chain of repeating silicon and oxygen atoms. Often this bond is combined with hydrogen and carbon to create silicones with different properties. Silicone is heralded for its low toxicity, resistance to heat and chemicals, insulation, and ability to repel water. The practical applications of silicone are endless, and its widespread use can be seen in the automotive, aerospace, cooking, electronics, cosmetics, and medical industries

Silicone’s durability, low toxicity, and flexibility make it an obvious candidate for use in the medical field. The best-known medical application of silicone was introduced to the United States during the 1960s in the form of silicone gel breast implants. The fact that silicone can be used internally in this manner is a testament to its biocompatibility, or ability to interact safely with the human body.