All of us have different facial features. Many times this is related to variations of the bones of the face and when the facial skeleton is not fully developed, facial imperfections can exist.

 

This is perhaps most noticeable in the chin and cheek regions of the face. It is often clear early in life (e.g. teenage years) that one’s chin is under-developed and under-projected, notable as a “weak” chin.

 

In a younger patient with appropriate soft tissue position, the impact of under-projected cheek bones might be masked.

 

But with the maturing process, sagging and soft tissue deflation (fat loss) of cheek tissues, in addition to the loss of bony structures, this can exaggerate the aging appearance in the presence of weak cheek bones.

 

During your consultation with Dr. Atkins and Dr. Frodel, facial analysis will be thorough and they will point out subtle deficiencies that when corrected, can have a major impact on your appearance.

 

For example, in the patient with a large nose, an under-projected chin will magnify the apparent size of the nose. Hence, correction of the chin deficiency can improve the profile and lesson the impact of the large nose (i.e. rhinoplasty and chin augmentation surgery are a common combination).

 

Younger patients with weak cheekbones can have these improved with facial fillers like Juvederm Voluma or  malar implants which are designed for specific cheek bone deficiencies. Similarly, the cheek or “malar” region will be thoroughly evaluated for tissue sagging, fat loss, and bone deficiency.

 

In many cases, facial fillers like Juvederm Voluma are initially used to improve the malar region, but in some cases malar implants are best.

 

Furthermore, soft tissue elevation of the cheek region as part of a facelift can be very important, particularly in combination with fillers and/or cheek implants. Finally, many patients have subtle yet significant facial asymmetries which can be camouflaged with facial implants, neurotoxins like Botox and skin rejuvenation.

 

Chin Augmentation with Anti-Aging Package

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Frodel will review his analysis with you regarding chin position.

 

While uncommon, many times approaches to achieve Facial Perfection include bone surgery such as bony genioplasty (cutting and moving the chin bone) be performed. However, in the vast majority of situations, chin augmentation with an implant is both acceptable and advantageous. As noted, this is commonly the situation with rhinoplasty, where chin augmentation is also performed as well as, in facelift and necklift surgery, where the presence of a weak chin can magnify jowl formation and neck tissue excess. Accordingly, chin augmentation is common in aging face surgery to define the jawline and neckline. We find chin augmentation to be one of the most satisfying procedures that we offer our patients due to its favorable impact.

 

While under sedation anesthesia (for chin augmentation alone and with facelifting) or general anesthesia (sometimes when rhinoplasty is also performed), an incision is made below the chin to access the front of the bony chin area. Pockets are created along the lower border of the jawline followed by placement of the implant (which is silicone, in most cases). It is secured in position and the tissues closed over the implant. A light pressure dressing is applied and worn for about a week.

 

Cheek Augmentation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheek or malar implants can be placed to build up under-developed cheekbones as well as, to replace loss of cheekbone prominence with the aging process. We prefer to use silicone implants in most cases (sometimes porous polyethylene implants are used) to give the face a natural overall appearance. An incision is made under the upper lip, followed by creation of a pocket over the cheekbone region. The properly chosen implant is then placed into the pocket and secured to the bone. While there is modest swelling and discomfort for a week or so, most patients can be out and about very soon.

 

If facial implants are of interest to you, please contact Dr. Atkins or Dr. Frodel for a consultaion.

Call our office to schedule today!  678-213-2220