Chin Soft Tissue Pad

Q: Dr. Eppley, Why do I have excess fat on my chin, the chin as in the middle part.It looks like a blob of fat and it’s circular and unpleasant in my opinion. 🙁 Is there anything that can be done to make it smaller?

A: I can not tell you why it is there but I can tell you what it is. What you are describing is the chin soft tissue pad which sits over the end of the chin bone. It is made up of skin, fat and muscle which is stretched out over the bone between the lower lip and the neck. It subcutaneous component varies amongst individuals and some people do have a disproportionate amount of it making it more prominent in some chins.

In large chin soft tissue pad development, reduction in its thickness or prominence may be aesthetically desired. The problem with trying to thin the chin soft tissue pad is that it runs the risk of ending up dimpled and irregular in contour shape, particularly with motion. As a result reduction of the chin soft tissue pad is usually discouraged. This is also true when liposuction is attempted to reduce its thickness.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana