Are chin implants obsolete?
While chin implants made of materials like ePTFE, porus polyethylene, or silicone implants were once a popular way to seek improvement in the facial profile, today’s medical technology offers improved alternatives for chin augmentation.
For the most natural results, a far more organic shape can be achieved with Perlane, a stabilized hyaluronic acid filler. Perlane® is an excellent option for volumizing the face where deficiencies in volume call for treatment in the deep dermis, which is deeper than the ideal placement for Restylane®. This is ideal for the chin, making Perlane® the preferred modern choice for correcting volume deficiencies in the chin like the “receding chin,” and improving the chin’s contour for an overall enhanced facial profile without the necessity of surgery.
Unlike earlier forms of chin augmentation, the filler Perlane® is placed nonsurgically and is a highly flexible treatment, although it is also long-lasting. In other words, while a treatment like a silicone implant is essentially permanent, the benefits of Perlane® can be enjoyed for well over a year, yet the treatment can also be modified or entirely erased with a hyaluronidase enzyme in the unlikely event that treatment modification is needed. In this way you can treat the chin with the peace of mind knowing it can be comfortably performed during an office treatment with results that are more natural than what can be achieved with surgical implants.
As medical technology evolves with research and experience, so does our understanding of cosmetic surgery. This means that procedures once thought to be our best option twenty years ago may not be recommended today. This can be confusing for someone determining what cosmetic procedure is right for them — after all, some old procedures have been improved upon so greatly that they have in essence been replaced (for example, today’s endoscopic forehead lift is a vast improvement to the earlier open forehead lift). It gets confusing because some surgeons cling to old ways of doing things and imply in marketing that the old method is still the best. However, most people understand that if you can accomplish something without surgery and get a result that is even better than surgery, that’s a good thing. Many who investigate chin fillers as an alternative to surgical implants surprise themselves by staying with the filler service rather than ultimately having a surgical implant. Having a surgical result without surgery is pretty great.
How do you make sense of today’s best treatment options? How can you be confident in your facial cosmetic treatment decisions? The key is in your choice of physician. A skilled injector is essential to achieving a balanced facial structure and improvements that are natural to your personal looks. A medi-spa, or a surgeon who performs these services as a sideline, usually lack the specialization and experience necessary to perform a skilled Perlane® treatment. Please call us today to learn more about Dr. Steinsapir’s specialization in facial cosmetic treatments that achieve a balanced, natural appearance; as well as his leading expertise in Medicis fillers like Perlane® and Restylane®.
About Dr. Steinsapir
Dr. Steinsapir is a board certified eye surgeon and fellowship-trained in oculofacial plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery in Beverly Hills where he specializes in balanced facial cosmetic surgery for natural results, with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques, fast recovery time, and leadership in medical technology. Dr. Steinsapir has a private practice and also serves as an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Contact us today to learn how Dr. Steinsapir’s experience and training make him an expert in cosmetic surgery, which can be a vital part of your evidence-based treatment plan.
Services described may be “off-label” and lack FDA approval. This article is informational and does not constitute an advertisement for off-label treatment. No services should be provided without a good faith examination by a licensed physician or surgeon and an informed consent with a discussion of risks, benefits, alternatives, and the likelihood of treatment success. Only you and your treating physician or surgeon can determine if a treatment is right for you.
I had a chin implant in the past. What are my options for improving my appearance now?
There are many different styles of chin implants that vary from the old-style button-chin implants to oversized, so-called anatomic implants. The differences range from attachment method, material, size and shape. Whether your implant is porous silicon, held in place by your own tissue or secured via bone screws, the results are a balanced appearance and striking silhouette. Mentoplasty provides a look of youth and vigor, but as you age, the appearance of your implant can change. As we age, our faces naturally lose the sub dermal fat that contributes to the shape and volume of our facial features. With the inevitable loss of facial volume and the natural changes we all face as we age, the contours of your chin implant can become increasingly evident. Cosmetic surgery can have long-lasting benefits, but it can’t stop the clock—you may find that as you gradually see the benefits of a past chin implant fade, with the gradual loss of soft tissue volume. This progressive change over time compromises the silhouette that was originally achieved by the implant.
Maintaining the shape of your chin
A variety of methods can address the loss of facial volume and prominent chin implant contours based on the individual and their concerns. For some, Dr. Steinsapir may recommend removal and replacement of the original implant as the most appropriate treatment. By replacing the original implant with a different type or style of implant, the effects of aging can be reversed without sacrificing your appearance and facial shape. By replacing an older implant with a newer model and style that reflect medical advances in facial cosmetic surgery, the proportions of your face are restored to a more youthful appearance.
Minimally invasive methods
For some individuals, chin irregularity associated with the loss of natural facial volume can occur. If you’re beginning to experience this particular result of aging, you don’t need to have a chin implant to improve your appearance, you may benefit from injections of BOTOX® and hyaluronic acid fillers. Injections with facial fillers do not require surgery and last well over a year. This is an excellent option for many individuals who do not wish to have surgery or a revisional procedure to replace a prior chin implant. Revolumizing the chin, without changing the implant is a highly effective solution. Fat grafting can provide a natural appearance and is an excellent option for some individuals. However, given the option most people are now choosing hyaluronic acid fillers like Perlane as a means of rapidly improving the appearance of the chin.
About Dr. Steinsapir
Dr. Steinsapir is a much sought after oculofacial cosmetic surgeon. He is an innovator in minimally invasive cosmetic procedures and has invented new methods for treating with BOTOX, Fillers and cutting edge facial surgery. He specializes in high precision eyelid surgery and is a leader in correcting prior facial and eyelid surgery. He attended medical school at the UCLA and completed ophthalmology residency at The University of Chicago. He is multiple fellowship trained including three years of fellowship training in oculofacial plastic surgery at UCLA, and a two year cosmetic surgery fellowship in Rancho Mirage. He is widely published and lectures to other surgeons nationally and internationally. He is an associate clinical professor of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA. His private practice is located in West Los Angeles, immediately serving the Los Angeles and Bevery Hills communities. Additionally, individuals from all over the country and the world regularly come to Los Angeles for this expert care Please contact us today to learn more about how Dr. Steinsapir can help you attain your aesthetic goals.
