My Lower Face Is Wider Than My Forehead – How Can This Be Changed?

Q: Dr. Eppley, My lower face is much wider than my forehead. Getting older has accentuated this effect. I have just retired this month and would like to go into my later years looking a bit less cartoonlike. Would prefer to under-correct than overcorrect, however.

A: Thank you for your inquiry and sending your picture. Aging has increased the wider lower facial appearance with the typical soft tissue descent that occurs. The soft tissue can be relocated/resuspended by a neck-jowl tuckup procedure which is the basic approach that is needed.

The more pertinent question is since this is a natural/congenital issue there is a bony component to the lower facial width as well as a naturally more narrow forehead. In treating this issue more comprehensively at the bone level the options are for a jaw width reduction or a forehead augmentation/widening procedure. There are advantages and disadvantages with either approach.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana