What Are Facial Implants?
Facial implants can bring balance and better proportion to your facial structure — creating more distinct features and giving your face greater definition. Although any area of the face can be augmented with facial implants, they are most commonly used on the cheeks, chin, and jaw.
Several varieties of cheek implants are available. The most common type is designed to enhance the projection of the highest point of the cheek or malar bones.
Also available are cheek implants that add volume to a sunken or hollow cheek by placement in the submalar area or the hollow below the cheekbone. There are also extended cheek implants that add volume in the under-eye area by filling in the tear trough. In addition to cheek implants, separate orbital rim and tear trough implants can be used.
Chin implants increase the size and projection of a chin that does not project in proportion to the forehead and mid-face. For example, a small or recessed chin may disappear into the neck of an individual of normal weight, rather than appear as a distinct facial feature. Some people have a defined, heavy neck, which can also be addressed with an implant procedure. In addition, many patients feel their noses look too big, but once the chin is refined, the nose will appear the right size.
Several varieties of extended chin implants are designed to fill in the groove or sulcus that forms at the jowl area of the jawline. These are called pre-jowl sulcus implants and can be used separately or in combination with a chin implant. Jaw implants can increase the width of the lower third of your face. Much like the chin, a weak jaw is not well defined and distinct from the neck, or it may slope rather than angle from the ear to the chin.
