Can Chin Reduction Fix My Protruding Chin When I Smile?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in some form of a chin reduction. My chin is fine at rest but when I smile it sticks out and looks very unflattering. What do you recommend?

A: Thank you for your inquiry and sending your pictures. I assume your concern is the chin protrusion that occurs when you smile. The chin at rest or non-smiling position shows a normal chin. That is what is known as a hyperdynamic chin ptosis problem. It is an ‘excess’ of soft tissue chin pad that protrudes downward as the chin tissues pull back across the end of the chin bone.

This is a very challenging chin protrusion problem to improve as almost all chin reduction surgeries are designed to treat a static problem and not a dynamic problem. That means that trying to improve a dynamic problem may cause an adverse effect in the static position.

Having treated hyperdynamic chin ptosis cases before, the only effective approach is a submental approach where the end of the chin bine is reduced and some soft tissue chin pad is removed and tucked to decrease the dynamic protrusion.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana