Facial implants can be used in the face to provide long term fullness to areas that lose volume over time or for patients that had a lack of growth of certain facial bones such as the nose, jaw, and cheekbones.
One of the more common areas that implants are placed is on the chin, which helps produce more projection frequently noted on profile view. While the chin is the most commonly requested facial implant surgery, other areas such as the angles of the jawbone and the cheekbone area are also common. These implants can help produce a subtle but noticeable fullness to areas that need more enhancement commonly due to asymmetry in facial bone growth.
If you would like to learn more about Utah facial implants, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Wallin today.
The most common types of facial implants are made of solid silicone. These implants are inert, meaning the body doesn’t recognize them as a foreign body except in the rarest of circumstances, and do very well for long term results. Implants can be permanent in nature, but as with all implants, there are times when patients choose to remove them. Other implants used, especially patient-specific implants (PSI), are made of two materials: PEEK, which is a type of plastic material, and pure Titanium.
Both options are good choices to produce fullness in areas lacking. Often, patients will opt to test the appearance of what an implant would look like with fillers and then move towards a more permanent option. This is a good option, except when a patient has a significant lack of skeletal development and would require several syringes of filler to get the desired result. The cost of fillers can be quite expensive if a patient wants a significant change, and for some, they prefer to move directly towards the surgery to save money in the long run.
While all surgery carries risk, the placement of facial implants is generally safe and quick. The most frequent risks of surgery are infection and implant extrusion. Nerve damage, which is commonly temporary, is also possible, as several of the surgeries require working around sensory nerves to the face. While all efforts are made to provide you with an excellent result, asymmetries can be present after surgery, especially when trying to correct deficiencies in the facial bones.
The cost of surgery depends greatly on where the implant is used and if custom implants are desired. Most pre-fabricated implants cost between $250-$500 and, depending on where they go, will dictate the surgery costs.
Patients will have stitches removed one week after surgery unless inside the mouth. At that time, most patients are healing very nicely but continue to have some swelling near the surgical site. We ask patients to avoid strenuous activities for two weeks after surgery.
If you’d like to learn more about any of these options, Dr. Wallin would love to talk with you. Call us at (435) 627-8150, or reach out to us online to set up an appointment to meet one-on-one with a talented plastic surgeon.