Chin Augmentation

Q: Dr. Eppley, I appreciate the chin augmentation prediction imaging that you have sent me. I attached the image that I found more desirable. Doctor, if you could clear up some questions, I would hugely appreciate it. My questions are:

1 Is this chin augmentation result achievable?
2 Doctor, I really don’t want to make big changes to my front profile, would this procedure noticeably alter it?
3 Do you think I have a big or deep mentolabial sulcus? If so, would this be a problem?

A:In answer to your chin augmentation questions:

1) I only image results that I think are achieveable.

2) Every chin augmentation procedure affects every dimension of the chin to some degree. You can’t just change the profile view and not affect the front view. To minimize frontal view changes (not make the chin too wide), a certain style of implant must be chosen that augments mainly the central chin and not the sides.

3) The mentolabial or labiomental sulcus is a fixed anatomic structure while the chin point is not. Thus every chin augmentation procedure, by definition, will make the labiomental sulcus look deeper. The bigger the chin augmentation, the deeper the labiodental sulcus becomes.

Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana