Can Different Facial Implant Materials Show Through The Soft Tissues Better?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have viewed your custom facial implant results and you have mentioned that attractive results depend on the soft tissue. I’m not sure if mine is thick or thick but is there a way to thin or reduce the soft tissue to make my face looked more defined with the implant. Also say if I have thick soft tissue would PEEK material give me more angularity and stretch than silicone? Thank you

A: In answer to your facial reshaping and custom facial implants questions:

1) There are a limited number of fat reduction procedures of the face (buccal lipectomy, perioral liposuction) that can be performed. Thus the results of trying to reduce the soft tissue thickness of the face are very limited.

2) It is a fallacy that one type of biomaterial over another offers superior show of a facial implant through the tissues. This makes no biomaterial property sense despite the it is a common misconception that is frequently stated. This might be true if the silicone material as like a breast implant (soft) but it is solid silicone which is quite firm.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana