Can My Chin Shape Be Made Less Square Looking?

Q: Dr. Eppley,  I am wanting chin reshaping surgery to get rid of my prominent square chin which is not a good look for a woman. If possible, please give me some indications on the following questions.

 1) How long before I could go to work?  I don’t mind being a little black and blue.  More concerned about pain and my ability to focus on things. 

2) How soon could I fly after the intraoral surgery?

3) How soon could I drink liquids?  Eat solids? 

4)  Would I need to bring a companion?

5) I assume you detach and reattach the muscles immediately under the chin. 

Also, I wanted to let you know that rather than a smooth curved chin, I would like the square to just be made narrower and the asymmtery in length of chin to be corrected in favor of the shorter side, but no shorter of a chin than that.  I think a slight square (albeit narrower) is more interesting than a perfect oval. 

A: In answer to your questions:

1) For just the intraoral chin  contouring, this is a fairly simple and uncomplicated procedure. There will be sone chin swelling but almost never any bruising. The chin will be more numb that it will be painful for awhile. I certainly think you can be back to work in less than a week. There are no restrictions of amy kind after surgery.

2) You could return home the next day.

3) You can eat and drink immediately after surgery.

4) Most out of town patients come by themselves. We just have to have one of our nurses take you back to your hotel from the recovery room. We can not just push you out into the parking lot on your own right after surgery.

5) No muscles are ever deattached from under the chin. The mentalis muscle is elevated to access the chin bone are to be reduced and then reattached at the end of the bony contouring. This muscles sits in front of the chin not beneath it.

In regards to chin contouring, I would agree that in your case and face that a more narrow but slightly still square chin is better than a perfectly oval shaped chin.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana