Is Chin and Jaw Widening Helpful For Jowling In An Older Female?

Q: I’m a 62 year old female interested in widening a narrow face with a chin/jaw widening implant that would also help with jaw lifting and mild jowls. Is this possible for someone my age?

A: It is unusual for a female at any age to desire a wider lower face. This is almost always a male procedure for the obvious reason of making the jaw line more prominent to create a masculinizing effect. It would be particularly rare, and the first time in my Indianapolis plastic surgery experience, to have an older woman make that request.

I suspect that the real reason for this request is to help improve the classic signs of facial aging which is that of jowling, loss of the jaw line, and neck sagging. While it is true that jaw line enhancement at the chin and even more posteriorly at the jaw angles can help fill out a lower face, I question whether the effect would be significant enough to achieve your goals.

While I will have to see your pictures, it is possible that chin and jaw widening in combination with a limited or tuck-up facelift may create a more ideal result. Widening and lifting along the jaw line is a diametric movement of soft tissues that will usually result in a better outcome than either procedure done alone.  

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana