When your chin sits in better balance with the rest of your face, your profile can look more harmonious, and you may feel more at ease with the face you see in the mirror.
Chin augmentation is usually considered when your chin is small or set back compared with the rest of your face, while your teeth and jaw still work normally. A consultation lets your surgeon decide whether this approach is a good match for you.
Everything starts with an examination and a conversation. Your surgeon looks at the structure of your face, listens to what you are hoping for, and then talks through with you whether your chin should be fuller, wider, or your face slightly longer. Implants come in many shapes and sizes, and the one chosen depends on the change you want and the technique that will be used.
The implant material is biocompatible and approved by health authorities for use in the body, such as a solid silicone block or Medpor; a solid silicone block is the type used most often. Biocompatible means the material is well tolerated by your body once it is placed in the tissue.
In most cases the procedure is done through a small incision inside the lining of your mouth, so it leaves no scar that can be seen from the outside. Through this incision, your surgeon creates a pocket close to the lower jawbone, between the bone and the soft tissue of the chin, just large enough to place the implant onto the bone along the lower jaw.
Once the implant is positioned correctly, the incision is usually closed with stitches that dissolve on their own. The surgery takes about 30 to 45 minutes. A dressing is often used to hold the implant in place and to help reduce swelling over the first few days.
Chin augmentation adds volume to the jawbone in the chin area, so your chin can look more defined. It is not a substitute for other techniques when you have a different concern that needs to be addressed, and it does not promise a chin shaped exactly like anyone else's.
How much recovery you need depends on the technique used and whether any other surgery is done at the same time. In general, after chin augmentation on its own you can still go about your day, but your chin will feel a little sore and swollen for the first few days.
As with any surgery, chin augmentation carries some risks you should know about before you decide. Most are uncommon, but they can still happen.
At The Gioi Dep, our surgeons use only biocompatible implant materials that health authorities have approved for use in the body, such as a solid silicone block or Medpor, and they choose the shape and size to suit the structure of your face. In most cases the procedure is done from inside the mouth to avoid a scar that can be seen from the outside.
Our surgeons will tell you honestly if a different technique would suit your situation better. For example, when your chin is long enough but lacks forward projection, a technique that moves the jawbone forward may give a more harmonious chin, even though it needs a longer recovery; this option is discussed with you during your consultation.
Most patients do not find this a painful surgery. You may feel an uncomfortable tightness in the first few days from the added volume of the implant. This feeling usually responds quickly to oral pain relief and eases over a few days.
If it is done through an incision inside your mouth, there is no scar that can be seen from the outside. If it is done through an incision under the chin, there can be a very small scar in a discreet area that is hard to notice in everyday encounters.
After chin augmentation on its own, you can usually still go about your day, but your chin will feel a little sore and swollen for the first few days.
If the surgery is done from inside your mouth, you should eat liquid or soft foods for a few days until the incision heals, and rinse your mouth after eating to keep the incision clean.
Chin augmentation with an implant is a long-lasting way to give your chin the volume you want in a stable form, unlike a temporary soft-tissue filler. Even so, the result differs from one person to the next and cannot be promised in advance.
You should avoid vigorous sports until the implant has settled, so that it does not shift out of place.
Yes, chin augmentation can be done at the same time as some other procedures, such as a nose surgery. Your surgeon weighs this case by case.
The implant may sit unevenly if it shifts, especially in the first days after surgery. This is why a dressing is used to hold it in place, and you should avoid bumping your chin in the early period.
The implant material is biocompatible and approved by health authorities for use in the body, such as a solid silicone block or Medpor; a solid silicone block is the type used most often.
The next step is a conversation - book a consultation.
The content on this page is for reference only and does not replace a direct examination and consultation with a specialist physician. Surgical outcomes vary from person to person.