Facial Implants

Facial Implant is a surgical procedure used to enhance the facial outlines. This has proved to be an effective way of enhancing one’s appearance and features, further adding to the self-confidence. It should be made clear that facial implants can benefit those craving to improve their looks. However, it is not for those who strive for perfection and you need to be realistic in your expectation.

Plastic surgeons use a variety of implants, made out of different materials. These may be employed to bring the cheekbones or chin in level with rest of the face or to strengthen a jawline. Facial Implants are often used to revamp the features of younger patients. There are cases where the teen girls get their chin forwarded or nose reshaped, which partitions the profiles better. Moreover, the more matured patients would prefer an implant placed in conjunction with another cosmetic procedure.

Before going for such a surgery, the person must discuss the details of the procedure with the surgeon. The plastic surgeon would assist in determining the real expectations. Providing photos of people who have facial features similar to the person undergoing the implant would be quite useful.

Procedure

Facial Implant procedure essentially involves the following:

Chin Surgery - This procedure might consume from 30 minutes to an hour for completion. In surgery, an implant of proper size and shape is selected that could enhance the appearance of the patient and these are introduced into the pocket over the front of the jawbone. Small incisions are created into the pockets and the implant is inserted in the skin just under the chin area or within the mouth (along the lower lip).

Normally the chin is bandaged after surgery reducing the discomfort and swelling. It takes five to seven days for the sutures in the skin to be removed.

There would be swelling and discomfort in the chin for several days. Blue and black marks might appear on the chin and neck. It also requires the patient to maintain certain eating restrictions and dental hygiene after surgery.

Cheek Surgery - An implant surgery on the cheek would take around 30 to 45 minutes. Cheek implants are used in conjunction with other cosmetic procedures like forehead lift, facelift, or eyelid surgery. In this procedure, the implants are inserted through the incisions made in the cheek. Alternatively, incisions are made on the lower eyelid or upper lip. This is followed by construction of pockets, where the implant is inserted.

After the surgery, the patient is instructed on the post-operative care, which involves limitation of activities and dietary restrictions. The patient might not be able to move the mouth and lips freely for a several days and the stitches would be dissolved within 10 days.

Lower-Jaw Surgery - A lower-jaw implant surgery normally requires one to two hours. In this procedure, internal incisions are created on both the sides of the lower lip, which helps in generating a pocket for inserting the lower-jaw implant. The incisions are closed with dissolving sutures.

Immediately after the surgery, the lower jaw might swell, that peaks for next 24 to 48 hours. However, the swelling subsides after several days and the final facial contour becomes apparent after several months after the surgery.

Recovery

For quick and better recovery, the patient has to avoid certain activities. For several weeks, the patient should not carry out activities that would make the face to jarr or bump. Full recovery, to get the real appearance, might take for weeks or even months in some cases.