How hard is it to remove a chin implant and how long is the recovery?

As you can see, there are many different types of implants:

Silicone (smooth surfaced)
Medpor
PTFE
Mesh
Hydroxyapatite.

The silicone are by far the most popular and quite easy to remove under local.
The others however can be quite complex.
The first step is to find out the type of implant.
The second step is the size. Small implants (5-6mm or projection or less can be easily removed without much consequence). Larger implants may stretch the skin or actually cause bony erosion.

Removal
of a chin implant is actually really straight forward and should not take more
than 30-45min. The recovery is also relatively short. I hope you found
this information helpful.

This question is not as simple as you might have thought when you asked it! There are different types of chin implants, and some are easier to remove than others. The silicone implants that I use in my practice are easy to remove, as they are placed between the bone and the muscle, and are not fixed in place with screws. There are some implants that are screwed into place, and over the years, if left in place, the pressure from this tight adherence via screws can erode the mandible, which can make removing the implant much more difficult (if not impossible), and can leave a person deformed if it is removed. The recovery time can vary from just a few days to weeks, depending on what technique was used. I recommend consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon if you are considering having an implant removed. I suggest that you bring your records and operative report from the first surgery with you so your surgeon can determine if the risk/reward is worth it.

Removing a chin implant is generally straightforward but would take different amount of time depending on the implant material because the connection between your own tissues and the implant are stronger with some materials. In addition, in many instances it is important to re-suspend the soft tissue of the chin to ensure that it doesn't change the shape of the chin and make it sag.Either way the amount of swelling will be perceived as less significant than with the chin augmentation.

Removing a silicone chin implant is a pretty simple and quick procedure, although other types of implants may present a greater challenge. After the implant has been removed, you can expect to experience noticeable swelling and sagging skin while your body heals. The doctor will be able to remove the implant through the original incision site, ensuring no extra scarring is produced.
Unfortunately, your skin may never return to its original tightness after being stretched for a prolonged period of time due to the chin implant. If you would like to know more about the procedure and what results you can expect, schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon to learn more. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your question. I agree with the
other physicians who have answered this question in that it is crucial to know
what kind of implant was previously placed. Depending on how long
the previous implant has been in, porous materials, such as MedPor,
may be somewhat difficult to remove because of how integrated into the
tissues they may have become (i.e. the pores or holes in the material
allow cellular in-growth from the adjacent tissue). Silicone impants, which are
quite commonly used because of their pliable and non-reactive nature, are very
easy to remove. Larger implants are also more difficult to remove than smaller
implants. Overall, removal of a non-porous chin implant is a relatively quick,
in-office procedure and recovery is generally less intense than that
experienced with the primary/original procedure. Expect 7-10 days of bruising
and swelling that will start to subside over a period of 6 weeks.

Chin implant removal can take as little as 10 minutes or over an hour depending on the material used.  If you want the option of easy removal, a silastic implant is the easier to remove and, in my opinion, the most natural appearing.  Chin implant recovery in general lasts 2 weeks. The first week you have to take it easy without any strenous activity or bending over. If you have a chin incision, then taking care of the incision with antibiotic ointment and peroxide is important several times a day. If the incision is in your mouth, then rinsing your mouth with the antiseptic solution recommended by your doctor several times a day, plus a soft diet for a week, is recommended. On day 7, you can work out, bend over, lift heavy objects, and use makeup. However, you will still have bruising and swelling that will be obvious to others. On day 14, you will be able to be out and about and acquaintances will not know you had anything done including coworkers. To you, your chin will still look large. Your perspective will improve at 21 days as the swelling subsides and you start to appreciate the shape of your new chin. By 28 days, patients are ecstatic with their results.

Removing a chin implant,
usually if it’s a silicone type
it’s not a challenging
procedure. However, if it’s made
of another type of device or has a screw fixation it may be a little more challenging. Recovery is usually about 3 to 5 days.

It is possible to
remove chin implants, however it is important to be aware that the material of
the implant can affect ease of removal. When an implant is inserted, tissue
adheres to it, forming a layer of scar tissue. The tissue growth will be more
integrated with some materials (specifically Medpor implants), making the
removal process more challenging. Other material such as silicone chin implants
are relatively straightforward to remove. For most patients, the downtime will
be one week off work and social activities. Although the total healing process until
all the swelling has resolved and the scar has healed is 6 to 12months. If you
are considering a chin implant, you should consult a facial plastic surgeon
that has experience with chin augmentation techniques and implants that can
ensure your options and expectations from the surgery are fully discussed.

Chin implant removal is generally straightforward, and can be done with local anesthesia. This is true for the most common type of implants (Silastic, or silicone-plastic), which form a capsule in the tissue and do not integrate with the surrounding skin or bone.  For other types of implant materials, removal may be more complicated.

Chin Implant removal is usually straight forward and can be performed under local anesthesia with a short recovery time. At times Medpor or Goretex implants can have tissue ingrowth and a bit more involved to be removed.