What is Breast Implant Illness?

May 3

What is Breast Implant Illness (BII)?

Breast Implant Illness (BII) is a term used to describe a broad collection of symptoms that a growing number of individuals report experiencing after receiving breast implants—regardless of whether they are saline or silicone (saline implants come in a silicone casing).

These symptoms often affect multiple body systems and can emerge shortly after implantation or, more commonly, years later. While not yet recognized as an official medical diagnosis, growing awareness and advocacy have pushed the conversation into mainstream healthcare, forcing institutions to reckon with what hundreds of thousands of women have been reporting for decades.

Some of the most commonly reported symptoms include:

Persistent fatigue
Brain fog or memory issues
Muscle and joint pain
Skin rashes and hair thinning
Anxiety and depression
Autoimmune-like symptoms

These symptoms often mimic those of chronic illnesses or autoimmune disorders, leading many women down long, frustrating paths of medical appointments and misdiagnoses before suspecting their implants as the root cause. In some cases, women are testing positive for autoimmune disorders, only to have them reversed once implants are removed and healing takes place.

A Brief History of Implants: From Silicone Suspicion to “Gummy Glamour”

Breast implants have undergone numerous redesigns and regulatory phases since their introduction in the 1960s. By the early 1990s, increasing reports of complications led the FDA to place a halt on silicone implants in 1992. For years, only saline implants were widely available while silicone underwent additional safety testing. Despite continued patient concerns, silicone implants were re-approved in 2006 (yours truly received her own “newly designed and wildly acclaimed” gummy implants in July 2006).

And so a new generation of so-called "gummy bear" implants—made with a more cohesive silicone gel designed to hold its shape—was marketed as a safer alternative. Many patients, including myself, were told these newer implants were more durable and less likely to leak or rupture.

Yet in July 2019, the FDA requested a voluntary recall of certain textured silicone implants (specifically Allergan’s BIOCELL line) after identifying a link to a rare cancer known as Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), a type of immune system cancer. This marked a significant shift, as the potential for implants to contribute to serious health complications could no longer be dismissed as mere anecdote (FDA recall notice). Personally, I didn’t learn about this recall until late 2024 through a BII fb group — and no, most of the millions of people with this type of implant did not receive official notification of the recall.

Nicole Daruda: A Voice That Sparked a Movement

For me, if there's one name synonymous with Breast Implant Illness advocacy, it’s Nicole Daruda. After becoming severely ill from her own implants and undergoing explant surgery in 2013, Nicole experienced remarkable healing—something she documented in detail. What began as a personal health journey quickly became a lifeline for others.

Nicole founded the now-famous private Facebook group “Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole”, which has grown to nearly 200,000 members. Her website, HealingBreastImplantIllness.com, is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and compassionate resource available, covering everything from symptoms to explant surgeons to post-op recovery. Nicole and her team deserve immense credit for validating the lived experiences of women who felt gaslit or dismissed by mainstream medicine.

Thanks to grassroots advocacy like hers, more women are connecting the dots between their implants and unexplained health issues—many finding relief only after removal.

Medical Gaslighting and Systemic Dismissal

Despite mounting evidence and rising patient testimonials, the medical establishment has been slow to acknowledge Breast Implant Illness as real, with some vehemently denying it. Many women report being told that their symptoms are “in their head,” “normal aging,” or “anxiety.” Some doctors insist implants are safe because studies funded or influenced by implant manufacturers didn’t show significant health risks—ignoring the nuanced reality of long-term systemic impacts that may not show up in early data.

This dismissal speaks to a broader issue in medicine: the historical tendency to downplay women's symptoms, especially when those symptoms are complex, chronic, or invisible. It’s a form of institutional gaslighting that has caused real harm. Thankfully, pressure from advocacy groups, growing media coverage, and increased FDA scrutiny have helped shift the narrative. In 2020, the FDA even added a “black box” warning to breast implant packaging and issued updated guidelines requiring patient checklists outlining potential risks.

Still, skepticism remains, especially when it comes to insurance coverage for explant surgery or acknowledgment of BII as a valid cause of systemic illness. As a result, many patients have had to fight tooth and nail for their care—or pay out of pocket to reclaim their health.

That’s why I created BIIjournal.com. To carve out another piece of the internet where they can’t gaslight us. Where we can speak our truth and let it be heard.

Rising Awareness, Empowered Decisions

Though Breast Implant Illness is still often met with controversy or denial, awareness is steadily rising. More and more women are choosing explant surgery and finding significant improvement in their symptoms—often within weeks or months.

For anyone experiencing unexplained symptoms and suspecting a link to their implants, you are not alone. It’s important to trust your body and seek out practitioners who are informed, open-minded, and supportive. Connecting with others—through trusted resources like Nicole Daruda’s platform—can offer invaluable guidance and hope. Many surgeons will remove your implants, but not all believe in BII and the importance of a complete en-bloc removal (more on that in a future post). Finding the right surgeon is critical for your recovery— you can find a comprehensive list here.

The road to mainstream acceptance is ongoing, but change is happening.
We’re no longer whispering about BII. We’re shining a light on it.