Glabellar Implant

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in a glabellar implant. My interest in glabellar augmentation is that as I have had rhinoplasty and fat graft to forehead but my glabellar region is flat in comparison. I would be interested in knowing whether it looks natural when raising eyebrows and facial movement? Is there a visible border from the implant? Also what is the recovery time?

A: While glabellar augmentation can be done by a variety of materials and techiques, the most successful method is a custom glabellar implant made from the patient’s 3D CT scan. Since the glabella is a broad-based region that is like a diamond shape, it is best to have it custom made so that it blends smoothly to the surrounding bone and would have no visible or palpable edges. It is placed in the subperiosteal plane from an endoscopic scalp technique so it does interfere with any eyebrow or forehead movements. The glabellar implant is placed through a small scalp incision after the subperiosteal pocket has been made using the endoscope. The recovery time is very quick with limited swelling that should largely be resolved in a week after the procedure.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana