What are facial implants?
Facial implants are solid, biocompatible pieces placed over the bone to increase the projection of the facial skeleton in areas where the bony structure is deficient: the chin, the cheekbones (malar region) and the angle of the jaw. They are fixed over the bone, beneath the muscle and tissue, through concealed incisions.
The underlying idea orders the whole decision: a skeletal problem must be told apart from a soft-tissue problem. A chin that does not project, flat cheekbones or a jaw without an angle are not solved by stretching the skin or adding temporary filler —those act on the surface, and the deficit lies underneath, in the bone. When structural support is missing, the logical answer is to restore structure.
That is why implants do not compete with a facelift or with fat grafting; they solve something different: the facelift repositions descended tissue, fat restores lost volume, and the implant projects the skeleton. Confusing them leads to operating on the wrong layer.
Techniques used by Dr. Arístides Arellano
The plan is defined at the assessment, from analysis of the profile and of which area of the facial skeleton lacks projection:
- Augmentation genioplasty (chin implant): corrects a retracted or weak chin (retrogenia). The incision is made inside the mouth or in a crease under the chin, so it stays hidden, and the implant sits in a snug pocket over the bone.
- Malar implants (cheekbones): add projection to a flat midface, defining the cheekbone and the frame of the face. They are usually placed intraorally.
- Jaw-angle implant: defines and widens the angle of the mandible in patients seeking a more marked lower contour.
- Profile balance together with rhinoplasty: how a nose is perceived depends on the chin that accompanies it. A weak chin makes a nose look larger than it is, so assessing both together —profileplasty— gives a more harmonious result than operating on the nose in isolation.
- Choice of material at the assessment: implants are made in different biocompatible materials —solid silicone and porous polyethylene, among others—, each with its own handling and integration advantages. The choice is made at consultation according to the area and the case; it is not decided from a catalogue.
- When it is NOT an implant: if the deficit is of soft-tissue volume and not of bone —cheeks emptied by age, for example—, the honest answer may be fat grafting, not an implant. The technique is chosen according to what is missing, not the other way round.
How is it performed?
Surgery is performed under general anaesthesia or deep sedation in a hospital operating room, and lasts approximately 1 to 2 hours depending on the area and the number of implants. Through a concealed incision —inside the mouth or in a natural crease— a snug pocket is created over the bone, the implant is placed and, where appropriate, fixed so it stays stable. Most cases are outpatient or require one night of observation. A dressing or supporting tape is applied at the end, and with intraoral approaches a soft diet is advised for the first few days.
All surgery carries risk and requires a prior medical assessment. Results may vary according to each patient, their anatomy and their individual healing process.
Who is a good candidate?
A good candidate has a deficit of bony structure, not of skin, and seeks to correct a proportion of the face rather than to rejuvenate it:
- A retracted or weak chin, flat cheekbones or a jaw without definition that break the harmony of the profile.
- People who have already noticed that the problem does not improve with temporary filler, because the deficit is in the bone and not on the surface.
- Good general health, with no active dental infection when the approach is intraoral, and no contraindications to surgery or anaesthesia.
- Not smoking, or stopping tobacco with the lead time indicated: tobacco compromises healing and raises the risk around an implant.
- Realistic expectations: the implant projects the skeleton; it does not lift sagging skin, does not change texture and does not replace a facelift when what is in excess is laxity.
Recommended post-surgical treatments
Dr. Arístides may recommend facial manual lymphatic drainage and hyperbaric chamber sessions to reduce the swelling and bruising of the first weeks, as well as specific hygiene care when the incision is intraoral. See the full guide: Post-surgical recovery and care.
Before and after
Most patients want to see before-and-after photographs before deciding. Out of respect for each person’s privacy, Dr. Arístides Arellano shows real cases —always with documented consent— during your in-person consultation, where you can review results from patients with a starting point similar to yours. Results may vary from patient to patient.
Approximate price
Reference prices: pómulos from $40,000 MXN and mentón from $40,000 MXN, approximate, depending on the complexity of the case and the indicated technique. The price is all-inclusive: it covers use of the operating theatre and facilities, pre-operative laboratory work and the post-surgical recovery treatments. It is not the surgeon’s fee alone. Approximate price — the definitive cost is set at your private consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano.
About Dr. Arístides Arellano
Dr. Arístides Arellano is a plastic surgeon holding a specialty licence: he practises under a Mexican medical licence (D.G.P. 1125959) and a specialty licence in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (0002008), both issued by the Directorate General of Professions (DGP), which reissued his certificate of professional standing in 2025. His career began before Mexico’s present-day specialty-board system existed: he belongs to the founding generation of plastic surgery in Puebla, the second generation of a surgical tradition started in 1971 by Dr. Francisco Arellano Ocampo. Trust is verified, not promised: both licences are public and anyone can look them up in the DGP’s National Registry of Professionals.
Related patient guide
Before deciding where to have surgery: How to choose a plastic surgeon in Puebla: the checklist, including how to verify a specialty licence with the DGP —part of the informational guide series reviewed by Dr. Arístides Arellano.
Trust is verified, not promised. All 210 scanned documents —degree, licences, diplomas, publications and certificates, from 1977 to 2025— are open in Dr. Arístides Arellano’s credential archive, alongside an explanation of the difference between a specialty licence and a board certification.
Recovery · step by step
- Days 1–3Dressing or supporting tape; swelling and, with intraoral approaches, a soft diet.
- Week 1Swelling begins to subside; with intraoral incisions there is no visible scar.
- Weeks 2–3Most return to social activity; the implant already feels stable.
- Months 1–3Residual swelling resolves and the final contour settles.
Frequently asked questions
How much do facial implants cost in Puebla?
It is defined at the assessment; there is no fixed list price. The cost depends on the area (chin, cheekbones or jaw angle), the number of implants, the material chosen, whether it is combined with rhinoplasty or another procedure in the same operation, and hospital and anaesthetist fees. A clear written estimate is provided at consultation.
Are facial implants permanent?
Yes, they are designed to remain indefinitely, unlike fillers, which are reabsorbed over time. That is their advantage over temporary filler when the problem is one of bony structure. Being a solid piece placed over the bone, it can be removed or exchanged in a further operation should that ever become necessary.
What is the difference between an implant and filler or fat?
The implant projects the skeleton permanently; filler and fat grafting add soft-tissue volume. If what is missing is bone —a retracted chin, a flat cheekbone— the implant is the structural solution. If what is missing is tissue volume, such as a cheek emptied by age, then fat grafting is appropriate. The technique is chosen according to what is missing.
Are facial implant scars visible?
They are usually not visible. Incisions are designed to be concealed: inside the mouth —where they leave no visible scar— or in a natural crease, such as the one under the chin. The approach is chosen according to the area treated and the case.
Is a chin implant combined with rhinoplasty?
Frequently yes, because how the nose is perceived depends on the chin that accompanies it. A weak chin makes a nose look larger than it is. Assessing both together —what is called profileplasty— usually gives a more harmonious profile than operating on the nose in isolation. It is decided at the assessment.
Can an implant be removed or reversed?
Yes. Being a solid piece housed in a pocket over the bone, an implant can be removed or exchanged for one of a different size in a later operation if the result is not the one desired or if a complication arises. It is one of the reasons an implant is considered a controllable solution.
How long is recovery from a facial implant?
Most patients return to social activity in about 2 to 3 weeks. Swelling is greater in the first days and subsides; the final contour settles over the first few months as residual swelling resolves. Results may vary between people.
What are the risks of facial implants?
As with any surgery there are risks: swelling, haematoma, infection around the implant, asymmetry or displacement of the implant, and temporary changes in sensation. Tobacco increases the risk of complications around an implant. These risks and how they are reduced are explained at the in-person assessment before deciding. Results may vary.
Every case is different. Discuss yours in a personal consultation.
Book a consultation on WhatsAppEvery figure published on this site is approximate and is not a quote. Any procedure or treatment first requires a private assessment consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano —$800 MXN, charged separately— and it is at that consultation that the definitive cost of your case is determined.
Educational content; it does not replace a medical consultation. Results may vary from person to person.