Hi, I have performed many facial shaping procedures, including Chin Augmentation with dermal fillers or silastic chin implants, for over 30 years. I would encourage you to speak with your chin implant surgeon about your concerns as you are still fresh post-op. One week, especially if the chin implant was placed through the mouth, is simply too soon to make an assessment of the results. "If" the silastic implant was a reasonable shape and size, which should be discussed with your chin implant surgeon, you can rest easy and allow yourself time to heal. In reality, there is absolutely no need to rush and remove the implant in haste. If however, the implant is medpore, that's quite a different story as it become integrated into the bone within 1 month. When the chin is weak, this creates an imbalance making the nose appear larger, the mid face top heavy, the lower face looks short, de-emphasizes the lips and allows early formation of a "double chin". Proper placement of a silastic chin implant adds forward projection to the chin thereby creating harmony and balance to the lower face. Using the same incision, liposuction can be performed to reduce the fat and further shape the neck. Excess skin, from below the chin, can also be removed through the same incision. I have found that placement of a silastic chin implant, through a small curved incision under the chin (also allows excess skin removal) to be very safe, quick, highly effective and far less invasive than a sliding genioplasty (requires extensive tissue dissection, bone cuts and placement of metal screws and plates to secure the cut segments of bone). I perform chin implant surgery in 30 minutes or less, often using a local anesthetic alone. It's not uncommon to have slight restriction in moving the mouth, in particularly the lower lip following chin implant placement. The intra-oral approach increases this as it has far more tissue dissection. This is why I use a small, curved incision under the chin for chin implant placement. The chin implant is placed (I believe it should be) below the chin muscle (Mentalis) and the covering of the bone. The restriction, of lower lip movement, is due to the muscle accommodating the added volume and projection provided by the implant. The movements typically return to normal in several weeks. Hope this helps.
