Your Questions
Your Questions
Q: Dr. Eppley, I’ve seen you on real self and seems like you are great with chin implants/surgery. I’ve had a consult with a couple other surgeons…one of them imaged my chin too big. The pic looked ridiculous! I’m wanting to know what you recommend for a female chin augmentation like myself. The other surgeon suggested a 2 or 3 mm implant. I have a chin dimple also. Would the chin implant cover the dimple? If so that would be great because I don’t like the cleft. Thank you!
A: The key to your female chin augmentation, which is not rare for females, is to not use a male chin implant approach. Your chin needs about 3mm (maybe 4mm) horizontal AND some vertical increase as well. That will work best with your vertically shorter total facial height adding more total facial length in a subtle fashion. In addition chin implant should not be round but have a more tapered shape to it to keep the new chin ‘slim’. The chin implant may push out the chin dimple/cleft but I wouldn’t count on it. It is best supplemented with a small amount of injected fat right into the dimple at the same time.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana
Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in female chin augmentation but have some concerns. Many before and after pictures that I have seen show chins that look too strong to me with too much horizontal advancement. I am a 27 year old female and want to do something to improve my weak chin/jawline. Take a look at my attached profile picture and tell me what you think.
A: Female chin augmentation is different both aesthetically and in implant designs that what is done on most men. This side view picture makes it infinitely clear as to your chin concerns. In a female chin that is deficient, the critical question is how much horizontal advancement is desired AND what happens to the width of the chin as it comes forward. In women the chin should become more narrow or triangular as it is advanced forward. This can be done by either a sliding genioplasty or central button chin implant style. I will need to do some computer imaging to see how much chin change you are looking for. In women, less is always more when it comes to chin augmentation in most cases.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana
Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a chin implant put in and removed within a few months about 4 years ago. I have slight chin ptosis, and read about “routine” procedures to reattach/tighten/lift the chin pad, like what you discuss above, but when I google search, I find no one who does this . I have googled “raising the introral sulcus”, “correcting bottom tooth show”(no one seems to have any suggestions for this), “correcting chin ptosis”, “submental tuck up” (which you have also talked about) and get like 2 results. and those that do these procedures have like one photo on their website. I would also like projection higher up on my chin so that overhead light hits a small area on the chin, the rest in shadow. The implant I had before just extended the downward line of my jaw and increased the area that the overhead light would catch, making my chin look longer. I feel a feminine chin not only projects, but curves slightly upward at the end of the jaw. On your chin implant page, the 7th one down has a nice curve up, as do many of your patients, the 8th one down does not, nor does the one on the bottom of page 1–you just continued the downward direction of these jaws and I don’t think it looks right. How do you avoid that?? Thanks.
A: Correcting chin ptosis is anything but a routinue plastic surgery procedure. There is not much written about it because its correction is not easy and the results not always predictable. I have learned that the most predictable way to get sustained improvement is to do a lower periosteal/mentalis release, elevation of the chin pad by suture anchorage to a higher position on the bone, a V-Y lower lip mucosal advancement and a shortening vestibuloplasty. Combining all four maneuvers will always correct a some degree of a sustained chin pad repositioning and maybe some slight lower lip elevation.
Getting a chin pad that curves upward with implant augmentation depends on numerous factors including the presurgical shape of the chin pad, chin implant style and size (women usually do better with a central button style chin) and whether an intraoral or submental approach is used.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis,Indiana
Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in a better chin and jawline. I am a 28 year-old female and I have always thought my chin was too short. I am fairly tall (5’ 9”) and my short chin gives me somewhat of a short-faced look that becomes particularly apparent when I smile. I know chin augmentations in women are not that common but I think I really need it. I have attached some pictures for you to review and tell me what you think.
A: Thank you for sending your pictures. While the pictures you have sent show you smiling (which distorts the chin area somewhat), I can still see your concerns about a small chin. I have done imaging showing a 5 to 7mm horizontal advancement in side view and a central or button style chin implant in frontal view to give it more of a tapered look which is more aesthetically pleasing in a female’s chin. I think this size and style of chin implant gives your lower face better balance and shape.
Actually chin augmentation in women, while less common in numbers than in men, is not that rare in my experience. How chin augmentation in done in women, however, is different in the amounts and shape of the augmentations as what defines an attractive female chin is different than that of men. It is more than just a simple horizontal measurement.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana