Facial implants are custom-made solid materials designed to strengthen the physical structure of the face and enhance specific features, compatible with human tissues. Also known as chin or cheek implants, facial implants are intended to define, reshape, or rejuvenate facial contours. The facial implant procedure may involve the placement of synthetic materials under the skin or into the bone. Available in various sizes and styles, facial implants help to enhance facial contours and proportions, such as widening the jawline, enhancing cheekbones, or restoring lost tissues, and they can be used following facial surgery.
What is an Implant?
Facial implants are solid, pre-shaped, three-dimensional objects used to enhance the size and appearance of different areas of the face, including the chin, nose, cheeks, and nasal bridge. A facial implant procedure involves the use of synthetic materials like silicone to provide aesthetic improvement to the face, typically applied to a person’s chin, cheeks, or cheekbones. Facial implants restructure specific areas of the face, enhancing facial contours to create a more attractive appearance while reducing sagging and hollows in the face. Enhancing and strengthening the natural features of the face, implants create a pleasing symmetry and balanced expression.
Facial implants made from silicone or polyethylene and used in cosmetic surgery are designed to be compatible with human tissues. Implants are made from materials that can be easily placed on the face through small incisions. While facial implants can be inserted through small incisions inside the mouth or under the chin, silicone implants can also be placed directly, while polyethylene implants are typically secured to the bone. Depending on the scope of the procedure, patient and surgeon preferences, facial implant surgery can be performed under local or general anesthesia, and the duration of the surgery can range from one to three hours.
When are Facial Implants Applied?
A maxillofacial or plastic surgeon may use facial implants to aesthetically enhance facial features, correct proportions, and address imbalances resulting from injury or hereditary traits. Conditions requiring jaw surgery should be evaluated before implant placement. Situations where facial implant application may be considered include:
– If you have a weak, recessed chin and wish to enhance your profile by increasing chin projection,
– To define your jawline to frame your face or distinguish your neck,
– If you desire to augment the prominence and fullness of your cheeks,
– To contour and proportion your facial structure, which may have been altered by aging,
– Implants may be used to correct facial asymmetry or shape irregularities due to injury or congenital factors.
Realistic expectations and generally good health are also necessary conditions for facial implantation.
Where are Facial Implants Placed?
Facial implants are commonly applied to the cheeks and chin, but they are also used in the nose, orbital (eye area), and temporal (sides of the skull) regions. Regionally applied facial implants have an overall improving effect on facial structure. Facial implants can be grouped as follows:
• Chin Implant: Facial implants applied in various styles along the chin line, providing horizontal, vertical, and square width extensions.
• Chin Tip Implant: Applied to strengthen the back part of the chin, creating a stronger and more defined chin with widening or vertically elongating chin tip implants.
• Nose Implant: Used either alone or commonly as part of a general nasal reshaping surgery.
• Eye Area Implants: Applied to fill the under-eye hollows or to permanently strengthen the infraorbital rim.
• Lip Implants: Lip implants made from a soft, sponge-like cylindrical material are designed to mimic the soft tissue feel of the lips.
• Cheek Implant: Different types of cheek implants are available, such as cheekbone implants or implants that enlarge the area beneath them.
Here are some things to consider after a facial implant surgery:
After a facial implant surgery, the recovery time can vary from person to person. While many individuals may return to their normal activities within one to two weeks, the healing process can take anywhere from six to twelve weeks. Mild to moderate discomfort may be experienced for one or two days following the procedure, and bruising and swelling may occur post-surgery. The patient may need to keep their face elevated at a forty-five-degree angle for at least one week.
During the recovery process, nutrition may be limited to a liquid diet for one or two days and a light diet for up to ten days. Facial movements may be temporarily restricted, and it is important not to exert excessive force or make contact with the surgical area during the healing period. Dissolvable stitches are commonly used; however, other stitches may be removed within two weeks after the procedure. Care instructions recommended by the surgeon may include wearing compression garments, caring for drains, taking antibiotics if prescribed, and information on safe activity levels and types.
If you are interested in achieving an attractive structure and contour for your face or obtaining a younger and more balanced appearance, you can consult with Dr. Sedat Baş, an Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeon, to benefit from his expertise and experience in selecting the right facial implant procedure for you.
