Can My Sliding Genioplasty Result Be Improved?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a genioplasty last year and then a revision earlier this year. I developed a deep mentolabial surcus that I never had before in my life. I’m so unhappy with the look of this sulcus or crease and I think it looks so masculine. I just hate how my chin looks in general. I think my chin looks unrefined and like a block. I think I was expecting it to look like an implant with a more elegant curvature and definition. Is there anything that can be done about A) the sulcus. Would it be possible to soften it? I also have developed chin ptosis and it looks just awful when I smile or talk. How is that treated permanently? Can a lower facelift get rid of all of that sagginess? Is it possible to surgically remove the extra soft tissue that has formed. I really appreciate your advice

A:Based on your postoperative pictures, and I have no idea what you look like before the surgery, this looks like a perfectly normal postoperative result from a sliding genioplasty. I don’t find the labiomental sulcus to be particularly deep and I don’t see any way to take that sulcus and make it less deep. As a general rule and a sliding genioplasty the shape of the chin from the front view usually gets a little bit more narrow but not wider. I suspect what you do not like about this result is that you probably were seeking a more V-shaped chin which could only really have ever been achieved by a V shaped chin implant that does not have any wings. While I obviously have no knowledge about your preoperative discussion with your surgeon but based upon this outcome and your issues with it this was simply not the best chin procedure for you given what your chin shape goals were. A sliding genioplasty is usually not a good choice when one wants a very controlled shape to the chin.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon