Facial Implants

The individual facial features can greatly impact the whole of the facial appearance. If the nose is prominent or large, it will appear even more so when combined with a weak or small chin. Similarly, a small chin will appear smaller and a large nose larger when set against flat cheekbones. Altering the appearance of the chin and cheeks with facial implants can greatly improve the overall beauty and harmony of the face. Furthermore, because high cheekbones are a sign of youth, adding prominence to the cheekbones can help to counter the effects of age and rejuvenate the face.

Candidates for facial implants are in generally good health and have realistic expectations for improving a weak chin or flat cheekbones. A weak chin is often hereditary, whereas the cheeks may have thinned or sunken with age or illness. Facial implants are made from a special medical-grade material that looks and feels like natural bone, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes so that they can be tailored to the individual patient.

Dr. Miller and Dr. Steinbrech perform cheek implant and chin implant procedures on an outpatient basis at their JCAHO Accredited office-based surgery facility at Gotham Plastic Surgery of New York City. Surgical times average thirty minutes and local anesthesia is commonly used. For chin implant surgery, a small incision is made just beneath the chin. The implant is inserted and the incision is closed. For cheek implant surgery, a small incision is made just above the gum line of the upper teeth. The implants are then inserted into a small pocket over the cheekbones and the incisions are closed.

The recovery following facial implant procedures takes approximately one week. For intraoral incisions, dietary restrictions may be necessary. Any discomfort that occurs can be alleviated with medication. Most patients find that they’re well enough to return to work after five days, though exercise should be postponed for at least ten days.

View Facial Implants before and after photos