A person's chin profile is determined by a multipicilty of parameters the least of which has to do with their gender, their height, the shape of their face, the projection of their nose, their hair pattern and so on and so forth. As a general rule, a female's chin should approximate (wthin two millimeters) a line drawn perpendicular from the lower lip downward. A male's chin should touch or exceed such a line. If a person has a weak profile because of their chin, it will interfer with the harmony of their facial features.
Chin augmentation is performed via an intraoral incisional approach or an external one below the prominence of the chin approximately one or two centimeters. The implants that I use are of a high grade silastic polymer that are tissue soft and have been used successfully over the past two plus decades with excellent results. The implants are computer generated and are anatomically correct in their shape and size. Depending on the patient's needs determined by examination and photo-documentation, I will recommend a particular size and shape for placement. Whether performed by itself or in conjunction with other prodedures such as a facelift, nasal surgery or liposuction of the neck, etc., a properly positioned chin can create a aesthetically pleasing result that compliments the entire face.
As with all of my surgical procedures, this type of surgery is performed in my office surgical suite located in Medical Towers II on the Baptist Medical Campus and can be performed under a local or a general anesthetic. A dressing is no longer placed on the the operative site and the small incision with its attendant sutures are kept clean and moist for the first week. Swelling can be minimal to moderate but most of it is usually gone within three to six weeks. The final results are three to four months in coming and may depend on additional procedures performed.
Discomfort and tightness are also minimal to moderate for the first few days but rapidly decreases afterwards. Some patients complain of a numb feeling in the area of implantation that may take a few days to several weeks to improve and is usually predicated on whether the implanrt that was placed was large. Regardless of the recovery issues, most of my patients are more than pleased with their results even when they did not perceive that chin augmentation was indicated in their case or not. If you are interested in more information about chin augmentation or any type of chin surgery, please contact at your convenience.
