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Cosmetic Surgery
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Chin and Cheek IMplants
It has been said that “beauty is only skin deep,” but in fact, much about facial beauty has to do with the structure beneath the skin, be it bone or soft tissue.
Prominent cheekbones and strong chins give the face character and balance and can be the defining features of a beautiful face. For many, implants can improve facial harmony by providing structure where structure has been missing.
However, cheek and chin implants can also be used to correct some of the soft tissue deficiencies that can occur with age. In other words, the goal of placing these implants may have less to do with providing structure where structure never existed as is does with replacing some of the soft tissue volume that has sagged or been lost with aging.
The most common application of chin implants is a patient with a weak, retrusive chin and a prominent nose. The nose and chin are essentially linked on the face. If one or the other dominates, the face looks out of balance and unattractive. Many patients seeking rhinoplasty will benefit greatly from the harmonious balance that a small chin implant can provide to the face.
Another use of chin implants is with patients interested in a facelift. Weak, somewhat droopy chins often characterize aging faces. Providing a strong smooth chin at the same time as an improved neck and jaw line can do wonders for making a face look more vigorous and youthful.
Cheek implants are also invaluable in facial enhancement. Many patients are unhappy with the fact that they “never had cheekbones,” and implants can certainly improve their image. However, all of us lose soft tissue over the cheekbones and beneath the lower eyelids as we age. There are some facelift procedures designed to restore fullness to these areas, so-called “mid-face lifts,” but many of these procedures make patients look “lifted” and “different.” For many, restoring the lost midface volume with implants is a simpler and more effective option.
Whether you know you want a facial implant or we suggest it during our comprehensive consultation with you, you can be sure that cheek and chin implants are a powerful and subtle way to realize an enhanced facial appearance.
FAQ
How are the implants placed?
Chin implants are usually placed through an incision beneath the chin, where many people already have an unnoticed scar from a childhood fall. Cheek implants can be placed through an incision inside the upper lip or, if lower eyelid surgery is being done, through the eyelid incision. The implants can be placed quite easily with local anesthetic only or under sedation in conjunction with other procedures.
Are the implants safe?
Yes. A variety of biocompatible materials are used to make facial implants. The most common is solid silicone rubber, which has been used for decades as an implant material in the human body. Any implant can become infected and be rejected by the body, but this is a rare event.
How will my face feel after implants are in?
The implants can usually be felt at first, since the body has not fully incorporated the implant. Some mild swelling and soreness can be expected at first. In time, however, most people don't notice or feel the implant in any meaningful way it becomes part of you.
Post-op Instructions
- 1. During the first week after placement of your implant it is important that you avoid bumping or traumatizing the implant while it is becoming "fixed” in place. Once the body has begun incorporating the implant with a layer of scar tissue, dislodging the implant becomes much more difficult.
- 2. Occasionally cheek implants must be held temporarily in place using “bolsters” or small pads sutured over the cheek implant site. If this is anticipated I will tell you in advance. If used, these bolsters are removed around 6 to 7 days later.
- 3. You can expect some degree of temporary swelling or bruising around the implant site and the incision by which the implant was placed. Each patient is unique in their own healing characteristics and will experience different levels of this bruising or swelling. In the vast majority of cases swelling is modest and usually subsides enough after 3 to 5 days to be presentable. Minor tissue “puffiness” may still be discernible to you and I for several weeks, but should not be noticeable to the general public. Don’t be alarmed by any modest asymmetries or irregularities between implants or implant sides during this stage since irregular tissue edema is the norm. Bruising, if it occurs, is usually coverable by makeup and typically clears within 10 to 14 days.
- 4. Minor asymmetries between the sides of a chin implant or between two cheek implants may be noticed on close inspection and are generally considered acceptable. The fact is that most faces, if studied closely, have a great deal of asymmetry that is rarely noticed by friends or colleagues. Gross irregularities or obvious implant migration is an infrequent possibility for any implantation procedure. Our follow-up visits will allow me to monitor for this condition. Significantly displaced implants may require removal or adjustment through surgery.
- 5. During the initial healing stages you may perceive that a small amount of fluid is present around your implant (for example, a light “squish” sensation may be felt if you push on the implant). This is normal and will resolve as the implant becomes more incorporated by the body.
- 6. Large amounts of fluid or blood around the implant site (also know as a “seroma” or a “hematoma” respectively) is a well-known but uncommon risk of any implant. Keeping your activity levels light during the first week and avoiding aspirin, ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory medications for 2 weeks after surgery will help minimize this risk. Warning signs for a hematoma are significant and progressive swelling over the implant site (like a water balloon) associated with increasing redness and pain. Rarely the skin may turn dark purple or even black. If you experience this syndrome of warning signs, you should not hesitate to call my office. Significant fluid or blood collections around an implant may require needle or surgical drainage.
- 7. Although surgical grade implants are very biocompatible and well accepted by the body, all implants have a small inherent risk of infection or rejection (less than 5% nationwide). Exposure of the implant through the overlying skin or incision, increasing redness and/or pain, or fevers which can’t be explained by an illness are all warning signs of implant infection. If you feel you may be getting an implant infection, don’t hesitate to call my office. As a precaution against infection, I will usually prescribe an antibiotic for about 10 days after surgery. Significant implant infections may require that the implant be removed.
- 8. Normally pain is not a significant problem with implants. As with any minor surgical procedure, some localized incisional pain for a day or two can be expected. You will be prescribed pain medication for this.
- 9. You should take care of any external incisions using our “Standard Wound Care Instructions”, which you will be provided with. In the event that your implant was placed using incisions inside the mouth, you should keep the area clean by using an antiseptic mouthwash 2 to 3 times a day for one week. The sutures inside the mouth dissolve on their own in 5 to 10 days.
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“I love the way I look. These results couldn’t be more perfect for me.”
--D.H., Facelift, Lip Augmentation
Gallery Before and Afters
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