Is My Lower Face Vertically Short?

Q: Dr. Eppley, My concern is that my lower face appears vertically short, which makes my neck seem longer and my head proportionally smaller. When I relax my jaw slightly (keeping my lips closed), my face looks noticeably more balanced, which makes me think I might have lower facial vertical deficiency.I’m interested in understanding whether a vertical lengthening genioplasty could improve overall balance and create a more proportional facial appearance. I want my head to appear bigger because my neck seems way too long compared to my small face. I look forward to your feedback.

A: By your own description and more open jaw positioning you have demonstrated that vertical lengthening of the jawline, or even the chin, creates better craniofacial proportions. You can call this a lower facial deficiency or a normal jaw development that looks better if it had more vertical length. Either way the more relevant question is how much  vertical lengthening of the chin is needed.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World Renowned Plastic Surgeon