Facial implants are used to shape the face and provide facial fullness in important areas that contribute to the overall appearance of the face. Unlike facial fillers, which are used to provide temporary remedies of transient soft-tissue effects, facial are used in areas where permanent alteration of the face is desired. Most often, this is related to the less changeable aspects of facial appearance, the bone structure and shape.

There are three main areas where facial implants are used to augment the bone:

• Cheeks--high cheekbones are one of the most commonly cited features of an attractive face. If your cheekbones are low, facial implants can make them higher. In addition, facial implants can be used to widen the face, which is most important for men, whose upper face should be wider than the lower face.
• Chin--the size and shape of your chin is crucial to your profile. If your nose appears too large, sometimes it requires rhinoplasty, but other times a small or receding chin is to blame, and a chin implant can permanently improve the appearance of your face.
• Jawbone--a soft jawline can make you appear fat because your neck blends into your face with little or no transition, as it does in people who are overweight. Sometimes, this weak jawline is the result of excess fat pockets, and can be addressed with facial liposuction. Other times, it is the result of sagging jowls, and can be rectified with a facelift. Sometimes, however, your jawbone is sized, shaped, or placed such that no amount of lifting or lipo can rectify it. Instead, you need to improve the size and shape of the jawbone to make your face well-defined and handsome. In these cases, an implant is placed on the jawbone near the back.

Facial implants are a permanent solution to significant cosmetic defects. If you are looking for a permanent improvement in the appearance of your face, contact Face Beautiful Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, serving La Jolla, California.

The short answer is yes. Many people worry about Botox injections. After all, Botox is botulinum toxin A, which is responsible for the deadly food poisoning known as botulism. Remember, however, that almonds contain cyanide. In fact, it's what gives them their flavor. But does fear of the deadly poison drive you to eat a Mounds even when you feel like a nut? No, because the dosage is so low that you could not possible eat enough almonds to die of cyanide poisoning.

In similar fashion, the dosages of toxin in Botox are very small. And they are localized in the injection site where they only work to correct the shape of specific muscles.

But what about the 16 people killed by Botox I saw on the news? News media are always looking for the best angle to tell a story, and it often leads to a distortion of the facts. First, the reported deaths are only suspected to be related to botulinum toxin A injections. Second, the majority of the deaths were in cases where botulinum toxin A was being used to treat spasms associated with cerebral palsy or other neurological conditions. These people received much higher dosages than used in cosmetic treatments. Of the 16 purported deaths, only one was suspected of being connected to cosmetic Botox. Finally, since it won FDA approval in 2000, Botox cosmetic has been used in nearly 20 million procedures, making the likelihood of death by Botox very very small.

Is Botox really safe? Botox is 200 times safer than having a dog, 2000 times safer than bathtubs, and almost a million times safer than driving in, riding in, or walking near an automobile.

To learn more about the risks and benefits of Botox injections, contact Face Beautiful Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, serving Escondido, California.