Will my forehead suddenly look sunken after forehead implant removal?
Will my forehead suddenly look sunken after forehead implant removal?
Severe hollowing does not always occur. How noticeable it is depends on how long the implant has been in place, its position and size, and the thickness of your soft tissue. Mild changes may recover naturally, while more pronounced hollowing can be supplemented with fat grafting.
Which situation applies to me?
My situation | Likelihood of hollowing | Approach
Small implant in place for 1–2 years | Low to moderate | In most cases, natural recovery after removal alone
Large implant in place for 5 years or longer | Moderate to high | Consider removal together with fat grafting
A thick capsule has formed | High | A plan for volume supplementation after detailed assessment is essential
Naturally flat forehead bone and relatively thin soft tissue | Moderate to high | CT assessment of volume before removal is recommended
Why do these differences occur?
The forehead does not look sunken because bone has disappeared. In practice, it is because the following two elements are lost together.
1. Soft tissue thinned by pressure: The skin, fascia, and fat layers gradually become thinner where the implant has exerted pressure over time. This atrophy accumulates the longer the implant remains in place.
2. The volume of the capsule itself: The fibrous capsule that forms around the implant has its own thickness, and this volume also disappears when it is removed.
In other words, rather than a hollow equal to the implant's size, it is as though "implant + atrophied tissue + capsule" are removed together, so the perceived hollowing may look greater than expected.
[ Actual surgical footage, edited with reduced saturation to lessen visual discomfort. ]
UVOM Plastic Surgery's approach
- Precise removal with a 4K endoscope: Using a 4K endoscope, which is uncommon in Korean plastic surgery clinics, we distinguish the boundary between the implant and capsule precisely under 20-fold magnification for removal.
Reducing tissue damage can help prevent unnecessary additional atrophy.
- Minimal 2–3 cm incision: We minimize the incision to avoid unnecessarily disturbing the surrounding tissue.
- UVOM's dedicated anesthesiology and pain medicine specialist : Provides dedicated management throughout the removal procedure.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How long after removal can the degree of recovery be assessed?
A. With mild atrophy, the tissue may regain some volume on its own over several months. However, individual variation is considerable, so the usual approach is to monitor recovery for a period before deciding whether supplementation is needed.
Q. Can removal and fat grafting be performed together?
A. If pre-removal assessment suggests substantial atrophy, a combined procedure may be considered. Another option is removal first, followed by observation and additional treatment if needed. The decision is tailored to your condition.
Q. Can an implant that has been in place for a long time still be removed?
A. A long implantation period does not make removal impossible. However, a thick capsule is more likely to have formed, making detailed assessment before removal more important.
To discuss which forehead implant removal situation applies to you, call 02-545-3700 or contact UVOM Plastic Surgery on KakaoTalk.