How Soon Can I Remove a Chin Implant?

Talk with your surgeon about your concerns. At two weeks you likely have a substantial amount of swelling still. This should improve over the next few months. Your surgeon can better assess how much more swelling to expect to come down.

Certainly, the implant can be removed (or downsized) at any time, though you'd hate to remove it prematurely.

You can have this out anytime, but I'd allow swelling to settle a bit more before deciding you "hate" your new look, because you haven't gotten there yet! Without knowing the exact details of your surgery and implant, it's really impossible for me or any on-line consultant to know whether to reassure you and tell you to wait for swelling to settle, or whether to validate your dissatisfaction and tell you to get it out now before there is too much tissue change.

It all comes down to what your chin looked like before, how big and what type of implant your surgeon used, and if your wishes and requests were understood by your surgeon so that he could choose properly.

The numbness should resolve, but permanent sensation loss is a rare possibility. The crease between your lower lip and new chin protrusion will soften and diminish as the chin swelling resolves.

I tell my chin implant patients that while things generally look good by a week or two post-op, it will take 4-6 months before a "final" appearance is reached. Unless you are really concerned that your surgeon is not a fully-trained ABPS-certified plastic surgeon, did not place the correct implant, or have some other gut-check reason to mistrust his judgment, I'd recommend seeing how things turn out over time before considering removing it (even if you're so distraught your surgeon will remove it for "free!") Talk to your surgeon and let him know about your concerns. It won't be the first time he's heard this! Best wishes!

I read your concern. It's difficult to advise you without seeing photos.

2 weeks post-op is a bit soon to judge your final result. If your surgeon placed a small or medium implant, you'll gain only 4-6 millimeters of chin projection. You may be swollen, and your chin numbness may be exacerbating your dissatisfaction.

You should discuss your concerns with your surgeon. Your numbness should subside, and swelling will certainly continue to dissipate. You may want to ask if a short course of steroids (prednisone) might be helpful for you.

If you're ultimately dissatisfied with your silastic implant, it can be removed anytime. MedPor, and GoreTex implants are more challenging to remove.

I hope this is helpful for you.

Regards from NJ.

Chin implants are very easy to remove under local anesthesia, but wait at least 2  months to allow some healing. Maybe after more of the swelling decreases you will like the result? Be patient. 

Cosmetic Surgery is associated with swelling that will take a while to subside. The lower lip numbness suggests either temporary or permanent injury to the mental nerves supplying sensation to the lower lip. While surgery is much easier if one waits for inflammation to resolve, if you are very unhappy with your surgery, you should frankly discuss it with your surgeon and possibly have the implant taken out. It MAY improve lip sensation and if done early it may avoid skin stretching and a witch's chin appearance which may be seen with late removal of chin implants with skin sag.

Dr. Peter A Aldea