Vertical Facial Lengthening

Q: Dr. Eppley, I’m interested in your custom jawline wraparound insert, largely for the sake of vertical facial lengthening but have a few questions. First, what is the maximum vertical height that can be added through these implants, would anything in the 15-18mm range be completely out of the question? What is the recovery time for this procedure, generally?

A: In theory a jawline implant that provides vertical lengthening (inferior border elongation) can be designed to any length. But the limiting factor is the ability for the soft tissue of the chin to stretch down and the masseter muscle in the back to similarly do so without disruption of the masseteric sling. As a general rule 10mms or so is what these tissues will usually tolerate for alloplastic vertical facial lengthening.

Recovery from a custom jawline implant is largely about swelling and it takes a good 2 to 3 weeks for a significant part of the swelling to go down to look more ‘normal’. Although a full resolution of the swelling and a completely normal appearance to occur will take a full six weeks after surgery. Tyoucally the complete resolution of the facial swelling takes much longer than most patients think.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana