Jaw Angle Implants for Jawline Enhancement

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in jaw implants. My jawline looks basically non-existent from the outside, which I believe only exaggerates the narrowness/gauntness of my face  Given that I am fairly young, aging is not a factor. I was originally thinking about jaw implants in addition to chin implants to give a more polished look to the whole area, but I have read that jaw implants, because of their placement under the masseter muscle, can cause a lot of pain, swelling, stiffness, etc. I feel I went through a lot of uncertainty with my chin implant, and I’m afraid this might be more of the same, Your thoughts? Would fillers or fat grafting give a similar jawline appearance? How about liposuction around the neck? 

A: When patients use the term jaw implants, they almost always mean jaw angle implants. Jaw angle implants are the best and really only way to create visible angularity of the back part of the jaw. Injectable fillers or fat injections will add indistinct volume and fullness which often can be perceived as just being wider but with any distinct definition.  Liposuction can not create a defined jaw angle shape.

While jaw angle implants will cause some temporary masseter muscle discomfort, swelling and stiffness of mouth opening for a few weeks after surgery, these are not permanent effects.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana