Risks for Facial Disfiguration if I Remove Chin Implant?

      After 3 months, the chances are good that the skin and soft tissue envelope will remodel and shrink following removal of the chin implant.  In addition, the soft tissues overlying the bone may have to be resuspended adequately or anchored at the time of removal.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Your chin will appear as it did prior to surgery when a chin implant removal is performed correctly by a skilled surgeon. I would recommend communicating any concerns to your surgeon ahead of time. I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck.

Your chin implant removal concerns are that of developing a soft tissue droop or witch's chin. The best way to avoid that concern is to do a simultaneous mentalis muscle resuspension/tightening as a preventative measure. Depending upon the point of insertion and size of the chin implant will determine if this may be warranted or not.

If you remove an implant that has only been in for 3 months, you will most likely look exactly like you did prior to the insertion. Sagging will be very unlikely and you should heal without any problems.

Diana L. Elias MD

There are always risks with any procedure but they are very minimal with removal of a chin implant. There is nothing you can do to mitigate these risks.