Chin surgery is one of the most interesting and powerful procedures in cosmetic surgery.
The chin is extremely important in the appearance of the face and has an effect on how other parts of the face are perceived. For example, a big chin makes the nose look smaller and a small chin makes the nose look bigger.
Most patients can be helped with a chin implant. This is a simple, dependable procedure that can be performed in the office under local anesthesia. Implants are made from various artificial materials but I prefer to use silastic implants in most cases. The implant can be inserted either through an incision in the mouth or an incision under the chin. While it might seem logical to use the incision in the mouth to hide the scar, the risk of infection is higher when this is done and therefore I usually recommend an external incision. The scar is almost invisible in the long run.
There are some circumstances where an implant cannot be used. An implant will only increase the prominence of the chin. It will not correct a chin that is too long or too short and it will not correct an asymmetrical chin. In these situations an "osteotomy" is performed. The chin is cut and moved into the correct position. This procedure requires general anesthesia but is still an outpatient procedure.
To see before and after images, please click Chin Implant Gallery.
Dr. Thorne is the Editor-in-Chief and the author of several chapters in Grabb and Smith's PLASTIC SURGERY, 7th Edition.
