Facial implants can enhance or restore facial structure in areas such as the chin, cheeks, temples, lips, or jawline. While injectable fillers are often used for temporary volume enhancement, permanent implants may be a better option for patients who want longer-lasting support, improved definition, or correction of age-related, congenital, or reconstructive facial concerns.
At Fante Eye & Face Center, patients from Denver, Greenwood Village, and surrounding Colorado communities receive facial implant care from doctors with advanced experience in facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Robert Fante has taught courses on permanent facial implants to colleagues at national scientific meetings and has experience with many implant types, while both Dr. Levitt and Dr. Huang are ASOPRS-trained surgeons and ASOPRS Candidate Members.
What Are Facial Implants?
With the advent of injectable fillers for facial volume augmentation, the popularity of permanent facial implants has diminished. However, since all of the FDA-approved injectable fillers are temporary, typically lasting 6-24 months for hyaluronic acid gels, sometimes a permanent implant makes more sense.
In addition to the lack of ongoing maintenance and the potential for appearance fluctuations, permanent implants offer another benefit. They can provide support for aging, sagging, or damaged soft tissues in ways that gels cannot.
As a consequence, implants continue to have a place in both cosmetic and reconstructive oculofacial plastic surgery. Our doctors can help patients understand whether facial implants, fat transfer, fillers, or another approach may be most appropriate for their goals.
Facial Implants Offered at Fante Eye & Face Center
Chin Implants
Permanent chin implants can be placed as part of the face and neck lift, or as a stand-alone procedure. They obviously improve the projection and shape of the chin in people with a weak chin, but they also usually enhance the shape of the overall jawline and neck. They are implanted either through a small skin incision in the submental crease (the natural crease that forms under the chin) or through a small incision inside the mouth at the base of the lower front teeth.
Either way, your doctor will carefully position the implant to avoid interference with lip movement, facial expression, and sensation. Multiple sizes and shapes are available, and you can see samples during your consultation.
Cheek Implants
Permanent implants can be placed along the cheekbones or at the border between the cheek and the lower eye area to enhance facial shape and fullness.
They are available in many sizes and shapes and can be customized to your face. They can be placed as part of eyelid, cheek, or face lift surgery, or performed as a stand-alone procedure.
Temple Implants
Sunken temples are one of the many signs of advancing age. They are also sometimes seen after certain types of neurosurgery and accidents. Emptiness at the temples may be more obvious in people with thin faces and shorter hair. Your doctor can place restorative implants behind the hairline and can permanently improve your appearance.
Lip Implants
Disappearing lips can be a concern for both men and women as they age. Most of us lose volume in the lips, and this together with the effects of sun, frequent movement, (and tobacco for those who use it) causes vertical lip lines, loss of definition at the border between the vermilion and the skin, and general shrinking of the lips.
The new implants are soft and discreet, and of course, come in many different sizes. Like filler injections, permanent implants do not interfere with lip movement or sensation, so kissing, speaking, eating, and smiling remain unaffected.
What Our Patients Have to Say
Facial Fat Injections
For almost all of the situations described above, it is also possible to use your own fat to improve volume loss in your face. We call this “autologous” fat. Your surgeon can take this fat from your belly, hips, legs, or neck using special liposuction techniques. Then they will carefully inject the fat into your face using specialized instrumentation.
This can be performed in a single procedure in the privacy of our office suite, or at an ambulatory surgery center or hospital, as part of other facial rejuvenation surgery (such as eyelid surgery or a facelift (opens in new tab)) or as a stand-alone procedure. We know that some of the fat will not survive the transfer, but much of it will survive and live permanently in the new location.
Many people will have a substantial improvement in facial volume loss from just one fat transfer procedure. Others may require more than one. Your own fat has several advantages, including a perfectly natural feel and the ability to carry stem cells. These stem cells can sometimes improve the appearance of your facial skin. While not for everyone, autologous fat transfer is an exciting development in the practice of oculofacial plastic surgery.
Candidates for Facial Implants
You may be a good candidate for facial implants if you:
- Want to Enhance Facial Definition: If you desire a more defined jawline, prominent cheekbones, or a stronger chin, facial implants can help create a balanced and sculpted look.
- Are Concerned About Facial Asymmetry: Facial implants can address natural facial imbalances or asymmetries, bringing harmony to your features.
- Have Lost Facial Volume: Implants restore youthful contours for those experiencing age-related volume loss in areas like the cheeks or under the eyes.
- Are in Good Overall Health: Candidates should be physically healthy and free of medical conditions that could interfere with healing or increase surgical risks.
- Have Realistic Expectations: Understanding the capabilities and limitations of facial implants is important. Our doctors will help you set realistic goals and understand what to expect.
- Are Seeking Long-Lasting Results: Facial implants are an excellent choice for those looking for a more permanent alternative to fillers or other non-surgical treatments.
The Facial Implant Procedure
At Fante Eye & Face Center, we ensure your facial implant procedure is tailored to your goals and performed precisely for natural-looking results. Here’s an overview of the process:
Consultation and Planning: Begin with a personalized consultation to discuss your goals and select the ideal implants.
Procedure: Performed under local or general anesthesia, small, discreet incisions are made to place the implants:
- Chin: Incisions inside the mouth or under the chin.
- Cheek: Incisions inside the mouth or lower eyelids.
- Jaw: Incisions inside the mouth near the back of the jaw.
The implants are securely positioned to enhance facial contours, and incisions are closed with sutures.
Recovery: Mild swelling and bruising are normal and subside within a few days. Most patients return to normal activities within 1 to 2 weeks, with results improving as healing progresses.
Alternatives To Facial Implants
Facial implants are not the only option for improving facial volume, contour, or definition. Depending on your goals, our doctors may recommend injectable fillers, facial fat transfer, skin resurfacing, or another surgical or nonsurgical facial rejuvenation option.
Fillers may be appropriate for patients seeking temporary improvement without surgery, whereas facial fat transfer uses your own fat to restore volume in selected areas. Permanent implants may be more appropriate for patients who want longer-lasting structural support or more defined contour enhancement. During your consultation, our doctors can review these options and help you decide which approach best fits your anatomy and goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Choose Fante Eye & Face Center for Facial Implants?
Facial implant surgery requires careful planning because even small changes to the chin, cheeks, temples, lips, or jawline can affect overall facial balance. At Fante Eye & Face Center, our doctors consider facial structure, soft tissue support, symmetry, and long-term goals before recommending a specific implant type, size, or placement technique.
This is a distinctive area of experience for the practice. Dr. Robert Fante has taught other physicians about permanent facial implants at national scientific meetings and has worked with many types of implants.Dr. Levitt and Dr. Huang bring fellowship-trained expertise in oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgery, giving patients access to a team that understands both cosmetic enhancement and reconstructive facial support.
The goal is to create results that look natural for your face, not simply larger or more dramatic. Whether facial implants are being considered on their own or alongside another procedure, our doctors can help you understand the benefits, limitations, risks, and alternatives before moving forward.
Facial Implants Consultation in Denver, Greenwood Village, Castle Pines and Highlands Ranch
If you are considering facial implants to improve facial definition, restore volume, or create better balance among your features, Fante Eye & Face Center can help you explore your options. Our doctors will evaluate your anatomy, discuss your goals, and explain whether implants, fat transfer, fillers, or another approach may be right for you.
To book a consultation (opens in new tab) with Fante Eye & Face Center in Denver, CO, serving patients from Greenwood Village, Castle Pines and the surrounding communities, call (303) 839-1616 today.