Can I Get Hair Transplants After Having Cheek Implants?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am looking to get cheek implants soon. I am also interested in having a hair transplant about 6 months after I have cheek implant surgery. My question to you is do you think it is safe to have a hair transplant after cheek implants? …. Is there any risk of infection to my cheeks implants? … during the hair transplant they will poke the front of my hairline hundreds of times. Can this in any way effect my cheek implants ??

A: This is a thoughtful question that speaks to the potential of bacterial seeding of any implant in the body due to bacteremia (release of bacteria in the bloodstream) after any invasive procedure. I think as long as your cheek implants are well healed and have an intact mature capsule, this potential risk is very low to negligible. It can easily be compared to having a dental cleaning in which one has any implant in their body. This is clearly not a problem of any magnitude given the millions of people who get their teeth cleaned or undergo any dental work and have surgical implants of many varieties and anatomic locations. But to be safe, and this would be done anyway, take an antibiotic starting one hour before the surgery and then for a few days after.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana