How Much Advancement Can A Chin Implant Or A Sliding Genioplasty Do?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I was wondering how much of an advancement in millimeters via either an implant or genioplasty to achieve a more masculine chin and does my deep groove effect the outcome. Thanks.

A: How much chin advancement any patient can obtain depends on their anatomy. For a sliding genioplasty it is usually up to 12mms based on the front to back distance of the thickness of the chin bone. An implant can do more as it is based on how the implantg is fabricated, how much the soft tissue can stretch and the placement of the submental incision to place it. Increases in horizontal projections with chin implants can be done up to 15 to 18mms. In some cases, a coimbination of a sliding geniplasty with an implant overlay can be done with increases up to 20mms.

Any amount of chin advancement, no matter how it will done, does not change the labiomental sulcus and, in cases of significant advancement, will make it deeper. In a genioplasty the ‘step’ in the bone can be filled in to help preventing worsening the depth of the sulcus. In chin implants, the best simultaneous treatment would be fat injections placed directly beneath the sulcus.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis,Indiana