Can a torn or stretched silicone prosthesis be repaired?
Silobionic provides after-sales support while you use your prosthesis, and if a repair is not possible, we guide you through a remake. Tears are usually repaired by patching with new silicone, and a stretched prosthesis is filled from the inside so it fits snugly again. Colour touch-ups become harder once dirt and friction build up, so everyday care matters most.
Repairs fall into two main groups
Most problems with a silicone prosthesis are either damage to its shape (tearing or stretching) or damage to its colour. What is damaged, and how, decides both the repair method and whether a repair is possible at all.
| Problem | Usual repair | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Tear | New silicone is patched over the split | The patched area may be slightly thicker |
| A piece has come away | Nothing to join, so the edge is trimmed smooth | Part of the original shape is lost |
| Small nick | The area around it is trimmed smooth | Stops the tear from spreading |
| Stretching | Extra silicone is added inside to restore the fit | Adds a little bulk |
| Colour damage | Colour is reapplied to the surface | May not hold if dirt and friction have built up |
Why are tears patched with new silicone?
When silicone splits, pressing the two edges back together does not hold — they soon come apart again. So instead of joining the edges, a thin layer of new silicone is applied over the split to hold it. Even a thin patch can leave that area a little thicker than before.
Patching is possible when both sides of the split are still there to be joined. If a piece has come away and there is nothing left to join, the remaining edge can be trimmed smooth instead.
When a nick is very small, the area around it may be trimmed smooth. A sharp notch left in place can keep tearing from that point.
Can a stretched prosthesis be made smaller again?
Once silicone has stretched, there is no way to shrink it back. Instead, extra silicone is added on the inside so the prosthesis sits snugly on your affected area again. This adds a little bulk. Stretching often comes from forcing the opening wide when putting the prosthesis on, so using water or a gel helps prevent it.
Can faded or stained colour be repainted?
Colour touch-ups tend to get harder over time. Once friction and dirt have built up on the surface, new colour may not cure properly: it stays tacky and wears or peels off within days, because contamination on the surface stops the silicone from setting.
On the other hand, a prosthesis that has hardly been worn and has been kept clean can sometimes be adjusted even a long time after it was made. In the end, what decides the result is less the passage of time than how regularly it has been cleaned and how much friction it has had.
What if it cannot be repaired?
Sometimes the damage or distortion is too great for silicone to be reworked. In that case, we will guide you through a remake. Because we keep your production records, a remake does not start from scratch. Whether and how a repair can be done depends on the condition of the prosthesis, so if something goes wrong, send us photos and get in touch.
The surest way to keep your prosthesis looking as it did on delivery is to avoid needing repairs at all — see our journal article on caring for a silicone prosthesis for putting it on, taking it off, cleaning and storage.
Frequently asked questions
Can a torn prosthesis be repaired?
If both sides of the split can still be joined, it is usually patched with new silicone. If a piece has come away, the edge can be trimmed smooth instead.
Can a stretched prosthesis be shrunk back?
No — silicone does not shrink once stretched. Extra silicone is added inside to restore the fit, which adds a little bulk.
Can an older prosthesis be recoloured?
It depends on how much dirt and friction the surface has had. A well-kept prosthesis can sometimes be recoloured, but if dirt has built up, new colour may not hold.
What happens if a repair is not possible?
We will guide you through a remake. It is based on your stored production records, so it does not start from scratch.
