Are The AI Generated Face Pictures Surgically Achievable?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in facial augmentation to achieve a more defined, masculine, and symmetric lower and midface. I’m attaching two photos for your review: The first is my current/original photo (front-facing selfie). The second is an AI-generated reference image showing the look I’m aiming for – a sharper jawline with better angularity and projection, enhanced cheek structure for midface balance, and improved orbital rim/eye area support to address minor asymmetry and overall harmony. Specifically, I’m inquiring about the feasibility of achieving a transformation similar to the reference photo using: Custom jaw implants (e.g., wrap-around jawline or jaw angle + chin for definition and projection) Cheek implants (malar or infraorbital-malar) Orbital eye bone area surgery (infraorbital rim implants or custom orbital rim augmentation for better under-eye support and symmetry correction) I’d like to know: Is this level of change realistically achievable with the above procedures (or any recommended variations/combinations), based on my current anatomy from the attached photos?  I appreciate any guidance you can provide.

A:Thank you for your inquiry and sending your pictures. The purpose of imaging, whether it is done by AI or whether I do the imaging in collaboration with the patient, is to establish targets for the surgery. It is not done to show people actual results that may occur from the surgery. Rather it sets the target for which the surgery is designed to try to achieve as close as possible. That being said an answer to your specific questions:

1) The AI generated image is not a realistic or a completely achievable outcome.

2) What it does tell me, at least in this limited front view, is that the jawline augmentation effect is a high and wide augmentation look and there is a very specific cheek augmentation effect shown which would not be the classic high cheekbone horizontal augmentation look. But it takes additional views in the side and oblique angles to quantify what an implant design may be for this potential type of change.

3) You do have one advantage when it comes to try to get in the ballpark of this type of change and that you are thin with little facial fat. While  you are never going to get  that severe concave contour change between the cheeks and jawline shown in the AI image at least you have a chance to get somewhat of that effect.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Plastic Surgeon