Los Angeles Facial Implants Facial Implants Los Angeles

Lip Augmentation, Cheek Augmentation, Chin Augmentation

Lip Augmentation

One of the most sexy and youthful features of the face are the lips. Lushes, plump, and full lips are signs of youth, health, and fertility. As we age our lips lose their fullness and volume. The upper lip sags and becomes thinner. Meanwhile, fine wrinkles develop around lips which are called "lipstick lines" or "smoker’s lines".

Lip augmentation consists of a variety of procedures designed to give a person a more proportional and fuller lips. In my practice I see both men and women who are interested in these procedures for a variety of reasons. Besides those that just want fuller lips, there are many that would like to have a more balanced upper and lower lip. They might have a short upper lip or one that is crooked. Many men and women lose the fullness and the height of their upper lips with aging. This is something that may also happen by wearing dentures. There are others that have developed fine wrinkles that run into their lips giving them the “lipstick lines” or the “smokers lines”.

Methods of Lip Augmentation

Lip augmentation consists of a variety of procedures designed to give a person a more defined and fuller lips. Besides enlarging the lips, lip fillers or implants are also used to balance the upper and lower lips.

Injecting collagen into the lips is an easy way of enlarging or shaping them. Collagen is commercially available through plastic surgeons, but before having this procedure, you must first pass a collagen allergy test. Its advantages are, it does not require surgery and it is relatively inexpensive. Its disadvantage is that it is not permanent and usually lasts 3-5 months. Fat injection is another similar method. I usually do not recommend it because as the fat gets absorbed the lip can become lumpy and have an irregular surface and appearance.

Unlike the temporary fillers, Gortex™ or PTFE is a synthetic non-dissolvable and permanent implant material that can be inserted at the periphery of the lips giving them more contrast as well as eliminating the lines that run into the lips (lipstick lines). In its newer multi-stranded form it is also used to augment the body of the lips. Patients find the feel of the Gortex implant very natural and acceptable. Alloderm™ is natural collagen matrix implant that is harvested from donors. It has the same consistency and feel of the skin. It can be shaped and formed to enhance and supplement the lip in a predictable fashion. It has a very natural feel and keeps its fullness for about one to two years.

These procedures like any other surgical procedure carry certain risks and have potential for complications. There is a risk of infection, which is minimized by taking antibiotics. Considering that no ones lips are perfectly symmetrical during normal pose or with smiling there are going to be minute asymmetries after surgery.

Cheek Augmentation - Malar or Cheek Implants

What Do Cheek Implants Do?

Prominent cheekbones are a hallmark of beauty in our culture. Men and women with strong, high cheekbones convey a healthy, youthful look. When your cheekbones are flat, this can cause a tired or aged appearance.

What Are Cheek Implants Made From?

Facial implants are either solid or porous. Usually, solid implants are made of silicone. Porous implants are usually made of polyethylene. The body responds differently to the two types. Solid implants become walled of by a "capsule," that is a layer of tissue that forms around it. Porous implants on the other hand are fixed to the surrounding tissue by bone ingrowths.

One disadvantage of the solid implant is that it can move around once placed. Thus far, none of the complaints about autoimmune reactions that have been connected to silicone breast implants have been tied to silicone check implants.
Porous implants, on the other hand, remain in place, yet are more expensive and more difficult to place than are the silicone implants. They also usually require a larger incision because they are non-malleable, and are harder to remove if misplaced.

How Are Cheek Implants Placed?

In general, however, your cosmetic surgeon will make one of two kinds of incisions –, or one inside of the mouth on the upper lip — that is an intraoral "canine" type incision — or on the lower eyelid, that is a "Trasnconjunctival" approach.
The surgeon then creates a pocket between the cheekbones and its overlying soft tissues. The implants are then placed into that pocket.
The implants are sometimes sutured to anchor them in place, but most often your cosmetic surgeon will simply make a precise pocket that will hold the implant in its place until your body forms a capsule around the implant.

Chin Augmentation / Genioplasty - Chin Implants

What Is Chin Implant Surgery or Genioplasty?

Throughout history, a strong chin has been equated with beauty. When the chin is weak and receding, a large nose appears even larger, and the jaw and neckline appear out of place. In many men and women, chin projection is lost due to aging.

Chin Augmentation or Genioplasty with Chin Implants help to build out a recessive chin by inserting an implant over the chin bone. This improves the overall harmony of your facial features. Chin implants can also correct jaw asymmetry or irregularity for people with traumatic or genetic defects.

What Are Chin Implants Made From?

Generally, they are made of silicone, or another synthetic material. Those made of silicone are known as "Silastic" implants.
There are two types, solid, the type made of silicone, or porous – generally made of polyethylene. In some cases, the use of a bone graft – usually taken from the hip — may be advisable..

Is the Silicone in Chin Implants Dangerous?

No implantation procedure is risk-free. However, silicone breast implants are made of a silicone gel, and have been implicated as the cause of autoimmune diseases. Unlike breast implants, silastic chin implants are made of a vulcanized solid silicone rubber, and have never been implicated as the cause of any disease. Smooth, solid silicone is an inert substance and has been used for implantation in numerous medical devices for decades.

How Is Chin Implant Surgery Performed?

A pocket will be created in the chin, into which an implant will be placed.
Your cosmetic surgeon will make an incision, either inside the lower portion of your mouth, or under the chin. In incision inside the mouth will be made with removable stitches. Those below the chin will later need removal.
Once the incision is made, your surgeon will place an implant of the right size and shape for your face inside the pocket that was created. When the implant is inserted inside the mouth, there is no visible scar.

What Kind of Anesthesia is Used for Chin Implants?
As a rule, Chin Implant Surgery is performed under general anesthesia

Are There Differences in The Risks of Chin Augmentation versus Genioplasty?
Genioplasty has a higher incidence of nerve damage than does Chin Augmentation through implants.

What Is Genioplasty?

The terms Genioplasty and Mentoplasty are used interchangeably to refer to the reshaping of the jaw. (Many also include Chin Implant Surgery, i.e. Chin Augmentation under the rubric of "Genioplasty."

In some men and women, the bones of their face and jaws are not proportional. In these cases, a cosmetic surgeon can correct the profile of the chin. Surgery to change the position of your chin is called Genioplasty. Often, this surgery is performed at the same time as corrective surgery on your jaw.

Dr. Younai is a Board Certified Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon with experience in all aspects of Facial Cosmetic Surgery including Facial Augmentation with Facial Implants, Facelift or Rhytidectomy, eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty, neck lift, forehead or brow lift, rhinoplasty, etc. He is skilled and experienced in all techniques of Facial Augmentation and Implant Surgery and strives to create a face that is harmonious and natural looking.

During your consultation he will discuss all details including: if you are a good candidate, surgical options and techniques, potential risks and complications of surgery, pre- and post-operative instructions, recovery course, as well as what to expect after surgery. You will also have an opportunity of seeing and trying on different types of facial implants. At that time Dr. Younai will also show you before-and-after pictures of other patients with Facial Implants, such as Cheek, Chin, Jaw, and Nasal Implants.