Chin Implant Removal

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am inquiring as to whether you do chin implant removal. I found you by searching the internet and then watched some of your videos. I had a chin implant in Dec. 2003. It changed the way my smile looks for the worse. I am hoping to have it removed or “trimmed” down. I would prefer to have it completely removed. The Dr. did a great job – but I had no idea that it would not result in this change in my smile and as a result the lower part of my face looks odd and out of proportion when I smile. Thank you for any advice or help.

A: Chin implants can be removed just as easily as they were put in. Whether your implant should be completely removed or made smaller is really a function of what you want to achieve. Keep some of its aesthetic benefits but hope that it improves the way your face looks when you smile….or just remove it as it no longer has any aesthetic value for you. The other issue is whether you would develop any chin ptosis with its removal that needs to be simultaneously managed/prevented. This would depend on the size of your chin implant, what material it is composed of (Medpor vs silicone) and what you look like now. I would need to see some pictures of your face, smiling and non-smiling, to provide any further insight.

Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana