From “selfie-awareness” to the “Zoom effect,” people have spent more time looking at their facial features more than at any other time in history. According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), 83 percent of respondents in a recent survey indicated that the “Zoom effect” was a major indicator in seeking change, such as undergoing plastic surgery.

A recent study published in AAFPRS’s journal, Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine, found that “ZOOM dysmorphia” had “a huge impact on the way we view ourselves.” Simply, through this hyperawareness of our images on live video (with no filters), people are turning to plastic surgery to fix imperfections and balance facial structure, creating a more pleasing look (and boosting self-confidence).

Whether on a Zoom call or not, a receding chin, undefined cheeks, a narrow jawline, or damaged facial tissue can make many of us less confident socially interacting with others. We can now achieve a more balanced, aesthetically pleasing image through facial implants.

What are Facial Implants for Contouring?

With facial implants, you can change the contouring and structure of the face by inserting implants into the cheeks, chin, or jaw, enhancing the definition and look of your facial features. Facial contouring, specifically, is “the art and science of merging plastic surgical techniques with these newer implant designs to improve the relative balance of facial features.”

Today’s implants are also very different than those used in the past. “Contemporary facial implants are contoured to imitate the natural bone structure and youthful form of the overlying soft tissues. They may extend over smaller or larger areas with different thicknesses to create varying projections, thus enhancing either a portion or the entire cheek or jawline,” according to Dr. William Binder.

Additionally, these modern implants—typically made of solid silicone elastomer or rubber–can not only fix facial imperfections and feature imbalance, but they can also reverse signs of aging. As facial tissue begins to sag as we climb the years, facial implants can increase volume and definition, making us look younger. These types of inserts have been found to stand the test of time while maintaining “both shape and flexibility and this feel[ing] perfectly natural over the facial structure.”

Types of Facial Implants

For the Chin

If your chin recedes or isn’t defined to your liking, you can get a chin implant. Not your mother’s implants, these “wrap around the entire chin and mandible, provid[ing] a more natural look from both the front and side views than the older button-like chin implants used years ago.”

Chin implants help contour the face by building up the chin, creating a better profile and improving facial symmetry. These implants can also help with sagging skin around the chin, common as we age, by eliminating the double chin or sagging skin, causing us to look older.

A relatively minor procedure, you can receive chin implants in 30-40 minutes as an outpatient procedure.

For the Cheeks

Perhaps you have drooping skin around your cheeks. In that case, cheek implants may be for you. This procedure can dramatically alter your appearance, giving you those classic high cheekbones that most desire. According to Dr. Binder, “[o]lder cheek implants which often created an artificial appearance have been eliminated as a result of the new, more anatomically-designed cheek implants. These take into account the entire area we perceived as ‘cheekbones’ and compensate for both the bone and soft tissue components that comprise the aesthetically desirable ‘high cheekbone effect.’”

You can receive cheek implants in about an hour as an outpatient procedure.

 

For the Jawline

Another area that benefits from contouring is the jawline. Facial implants can add structure, definition, and volume to the jawline, and are commonly elected among both women and men. Like chin and cheek implants, jaw implants can also balance out all facial features, giving the patient facial symmetry.

More complex than chin or cheek implants, this surgery will take one to two hours as an outpatient procedure.

Using Technology in Face Contouring

Let’s give these new implants a further look. Today, “three-dimensional computer technology is now used for the production of a new generation of more accurate, anatomic facial implants that permit more effective, long-lasting and pleasing results in facial augmentation.”

Here’s how it works: 

This process begins with a CAT scan taken of the anatomical area surrounding the defect. A computerized three-dimensional image is created from the scan and is available for examination through a video screen. It is then transformed into an exact life-size model of the skeletal structure. The anatomical model is then used to facilitate production of an extremely accurate implant that will exactly correct the contour deformity. The back surface of the implant is extremely precise, fitting the contour of the bony defect and interlocking with the underlying bone to provide long-term stability, preventing movement or slippage.

. . .

With the actual procedure minimized, operative time is reduced and the procedure can usually be performed on an outpatient basis with less complications and a considerable reduction in cost.

However, remember that facial implants and contouring are medical procedures, and cutting corners is not advised. Instead, a qualified and experienced physician can analyze the symmetry of your face, informing you of the best approach forward. So, to get that Zoom-ready image, contact us today!