How Can A Deep Labiomental Sulcus After A Custom Jawline Implant Be Reduced?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am actually a previous patient of yours, I received a full custom jaw implant almost two years ago. Honestly, I could not be happier with my results. The fullness that the custom implant provides has given my profile a much more masculine and esthetic look. My jaw angles are also much more ideal and overall I am very happy with how my facial tissues adapted to the implant. The only concern that I still have — and we did briefly discuss this issue before my surgery, is how deep the labiomental fold may become post-surgery. I have always had a relatively deep labiomental fold, even though my chin was exceptionally underdeveloped for my profile. With the addition of the custom chin implant, my labiomental fold has only become more pronounced. I know this issue is not a large concern for most individuals; however, it is less than ideal for me, especially when viewing my side profile. Now that I am considering surgical options, I would love to hear your professional opinion on what can be done to fix this issue surgically, pricing, as well as what sort of expectations I should have post-surgery. I am uploading 4 pictures of my current profile, 1 picture of my profile before the full custom implant (in case you would like to add a before and after to your website), and 1 picture of my ideal labiomental fold (to note if a result like that is even possible). Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.

A: Thank you for sending your picture and the longer term followup. In my experience there is no more effective treatment for a deep labiomental sulcus than a release and placement of a dermal-fat graft. The deep labiomental sulcus really represents a soft tissue deficient particularly when the chin has been augmented from its congenital shape.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana