Forehead Contouring SurgeryIn The NYC Tri-State Area

What Is Forehead Contouring Surgery?

When you think of defining and memorable facial features, your thoughts likely go to the eyes and smile, or maybe a shapely nose. In truth, we rarely notice the forehead, although it composes about one-third of a person’s face. Furthermore, it has a considerable effect on the appearance of the eyes.

A high, prominent, chiseled forehead gives the eyes and entire face a masculine appearance. Alternately, a smaller, smoother, gently rounded forehead creates a soft and feminine look. Many people are not naturally blessed with either ideal shape. Instead, they might have wide, flat, or sunken foreheads. Thankfully, various types of forehead contouring techniques can correct these and other aesthetic concerns.

What is Forehead Contouring explained by Dr. Edmund Kwan

All you need to know about forehead contouring, why and how it is done and the materials used to be able to provide personalized results suitable and preferred by the patients. Dr. Edmund Kwan, a plastic surgeon at the Edmund Kwan, M. D New York, NY explains how the procedure is done cost effectively, painlessly and perfectly.

Video Transcript

What is forehead contouring?
A lot of Asians and non-Asians have foreheads that are sunken in or irregular shapes. The only way to restore this is to put something in there.

What types of material can be used for this?
The material that’s placed there can be both artificial or your own body tissue.

The only body tissue that is available for this is fat and so a fat injection can be done to restore the contour. However, the fat is very short lasting, most of it disappears within a couple of months so it is not a viable solution for most people who have a large degree of contour deformity. But it can be used on people that have just small areas of indent or small irregularities in the forehead.

Patients also get lumps following this injection and I believe that this not an ideal material to use for forehead contouring.

Are there other types of material that can be used?
The great material for this is bone cement which is a synthetic bone. It is a material that really mimics the bone and is used by orthopedic or neurosurgeons to replace missing bones.

I use this to contour the forehead. I make an incision like I do for a browlift I go down and identify the areas that need contouring. At the time of surgery, I can really control the bone, because the cement is malleable and controllable so I can shape it to exactly what I want. I smooth out the bone and then I can do a browlift with it or just close the incision, and the recovery is fairly quick.

Would you recommend silicon for this procedure?
I prefer using this synthetic bone cement over silicon in this area. Unless you can custom make silicon for each individual, I don’t think is the ideal material, and sometimes in this area after silicon is placed you can get fluid buildup. With silicon there are a lot of complications and irregularities following this type of surgery.

Why is synthetic bone cement the best?
Bone cement is an ideal material for the area.

It is reasonably priced, it is really good to work with, you get a nice smooth forehead and patients can opt to choose any type of shape.

Make an appointment today with Edmund Kwan, M.D. today to find out more about Facial contouring procedure.

Forehead Augmentation

According to a survey by Medisetter, seven in ten people find a rounded forehead more aesthetically appealing than a flat or sunken one. People of any race may have flatter foreheads, though the problem is more common among certain ethnicities. This is the most common reason that people choose forehead augmentation. However, some men feel that their foreheads are too small, and they might seek augmentation in order to achieve a more masculine appearance.

Dr. Kwan utilizes an innovative technique to build up and sculpt the forehead, using a synthetic bone cement. The human body easily accepts this type of material, and it functions like natural bone tissue. During the procedure, he will create one or more incisions to access frontal bone, and then apply a small amount of bone cement. The location of incisions will vary, depending on your needs.

Forehead Reduction

Women who have noticeably protruding foreheads may feel that their faces appear too masculine. Additionally, men who have unusually large foreheads may feel self-conscious due to their disproportionate features. In either case, reduction and sculpting of the frontal bone can be a good solution.

This type of reduction is not to be confused with a traditional brow lift procedure, which only addresses soft tissue. Recontouring involves creating an incision, and then cutting or grinding the bone as needed to improve the forehead size and create an optimal shape.

How The Procedure Is Performed

Dr. Kwan begins with a personalized consultation. He will inquire about why you want to have plastic surgery, exactly what you dislike about your appearance, and what you hope to achieve. Then he will explain the available options, using 3D imaging software to show you what changes plastic surgery can make. If you decide that forehead contouring is the right choice, the doctor and his team will proceed with treatment planning.
The actual procedure is performed with anesthesia, to ensure patient comfort. The exact steps depend on what type of contouring you choose. Generally, the incision is along the hairline or temples, to be easily disguised.
Once Dr. Kwan accesses the frontal bone, he will place synthetic cement, cut away certain portions, use a burr to reduce the size, or some combination thereof. Some patients may need a bit of augmentation to create a softly rounded brow, along with reducing and smoothing other areas, in order to achieve the desired result.
We will provide complete pre-operative and post-operative instructions, as well as being available to answer questions that you may have. Typically, we schedule one or several follow-up appointments to ensure that you are healing and recovering as expected.

Forehead Contouring Surgery Before and After
Done By Dr. Kwan

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*Individual results may vary

What is Vectra H1 3D imaging?

Have you ever looked in the mirror, and tried to visualize how your face might look after forehead augmentation or reduction? Perhaps you have used photo editing software or filters to touch-up your appearance before posting pictures on social media. Of course, you know that neither your imagination nor Photoshop can accurately predict surgical results.

Now imagine something that can, in three-dimensional detail, simulate the appearance of your face after forehead contouring or any other procedure. That program exists, and it is called Vectra H1. Dr. Kwan uses it during consultation and treatment planning. You can view expected results from various angles and compare them to your current appearance and facial structure. All of this is shown on-screen, using digital imagery, so that you can feel confident in your decision.

The VECTRA® H1 handheld imaging system brings clinical-quality 3D imaging by Dr. Edmund Kwan

The VECTRA® H1 3D imaging by Dr. Kwan

The VECTRA® H1 handheld imaging system brings clinical-quality 3D imaging to any practice. It delivers precision optics for high-resolution 3D images in an intuitive, lightweight and easy to handle image capture system. Ideal for facial aesthetics, clinical documentation, and more, it's completely self-contained with integrated flash and ranging lights, the VECTRA H1 is ready to go with minimal staff training.

Dr. Kwan uses Vectra H1 in diagnostics and treatment planning in NYC

Side effects, complications, and recovery

There is some risk of complications with any kind of surgery, anywhere on your body. However, with forehead contouring treatment from Dr. Kwan, the risk is quite low. He takes great care to screen all patients, ensuring that they are healthy enough for surgery. Due to his extensive experience and expertise, he has excellent judgement in location of incisions, the amount of bone to alter, and other essential factors. He uses very precise, safe, proven techniques with excellent outcomes.

What should you expect after surgery?

Common side effects may include swelling and bruising at the surgical site, and possibly in the eyelid area. Some patients also experience numbness or soreness. Generally, these effects go away within a couple of weeks.
You will likely need a few days of downtime, but recovery is very fast because the incisions are quite small.
We will give you complete instructions for post-operative care, and it is important to follow them closely.

Why Choose Dr. Kwan For Forehead Contouring Surgery?

Best Plastic Surgeon NYC, Edmund Kwan, M.D for forehead contouring surgery

There is a small number of plastic surgeons who offer facial bone revision procedures such as forehead contouring, jawbone reduction, or cheekbone reduction. These procedures require very specific skills, an in-depth knowledge of the craniofacial anatomy, and an understanding of certain features unique to various ethnicities.

Dr. Kwan has all the above-mentioned credentials, and then some. He has trained in craniofacial reconstruction, aesthetic ethnic plastic surgery, and a variety of specific advanced techniques. Additionally, these are not procedures that he learned recently or that he performs infrequently. Ethnic plastic surgery has been a fundamental part of his practice since he became a Board-certified plastic surgeon over twenty years ago.

In addition to his clinical expertise, Dr. Kwan’s patients benefit from beautiful and comfortable surroundings, friendly, knowledgeable staff, and competitive pricing. Furthermore, he has three practice locations for ultimate convenience.

What our patients say

Dr Kwan understood what I wanted my face to look like, and worked with those results in mind, including the right follow-up procedures to maximise the results I wanted. I'm very pleased with the results and the convenience of having the procedures done at the same location as the consultations. The staff are very friendly and Dr Kwan is a skilled surgeon in whom I can fully trust.
_____ Adam E.