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Aesthetic facial implants
Last reviewed: 08.07.2025
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Over the past decade, significant advances in biomaterials and the development of facial implants have expanded their scope and application in aesthetic surgery, offering ready-made solutions for tissue replacement, preventing donor site complications and reducing the complexity of the surgery itself. Implants in facial surgery are now used to augment skeletal structures, to restore facial contours by augmenting areas of volume loss, and in combination with rhytidectomy or other surgeries as part of a comprehensive approach to facial rejuvenation. Applications for implants include cheek augmentation to correct the effect of hypoplastic zygomatic eminences; mandibular augmentation to create a stronger contour and a better nose-chin relationship; correction of the body and angle of the mandible to increase expression by expanding the frontal dimension; implantation under the zygomatic eminence and in the midface to fill in hollows and accentuate flat spots that form on the face during the natural aging process; insertion of implants in the nasal bridge alone or in the nasal bridge and columella; implantation on the anterior surface of the upper jaw, under the pyriform openings, to correct the posterior displacement of the middle third of the face. Computer modeling has made it possible to create individual implants to correct more complex facial defects caused by trauma, congenital pathology or acquired immunodeficiency states. Patients infected with HIV for a long time become victims of accelerated lipodystrophy with complete loss of fat on the face due to antiviral therapy, as well as other, not entirely understood factors associated with HIV itself.
The most important aspect of successful facial implantation is an accurate assessment of the facial anatomy. Characterizing the relationships between the various bony prominences, determining the volume and thickness of the surrounding soft tissues and skin will determine the subtleties of choosing the implant shape, type of material, and the best method of placement that suits the surgeon's and patient's views on the final result.
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