Is Hydroxyapatite Forehead Augmentation Long Lasting?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am two months out from my forehead augmentation procedure using hydroxyapatite cement. I believe I am happy with the outcome although I enjoyed it more when it was swollen but it is still big enough at present. I just wanted to know have your patients experienced longevity with the cement? Does it have the staying power of a implant or do cases like these need to be redone because of absorption.

A: Like all forms of bone cement, hydroxyapatite cement is non-resorbable. It will never resorb or change shape over your lifetime. It is just as stable and enduring as a forehead implant. It is very normal to maximally like the result when it is swollen in the first few weeks. But the vast majority of forehead augmentation patients are happy with their final size result even if they wish it were just a touch bigger. The biggest fear in forehead augmentation (at least my biggesty fear) is to make it too big as that will result in a revisional surgery 100% of the time. A forehead augmentation that is a bit too small, as long as it is not way too small, is very well tolerated.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana