What Can Be Done To Reshape A Thin Narrow Face?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I came across your practice from Google and wanted to reach out and ask some questions or possibly set up a consultation. I have a very thin, narrow face and as I’ve aged (42 yrs old) it’s only gotten more emphasized. I had previously had an chin implant put in but I feel as though it almost made my face look longer. Recently I’ve been getting fillers in my jaw, in front of my ear region and in my lower face to build up some volume but it doesn’t seem to be helping and, for the cost, it feels like going the permanent route might make more sense. I don’t know if there is much than can be done for a narrow face but I’d love to get the doctor’s feedback on it. 

A: In the thin narrow face the effective reshaping approach is to shorten it and widen it. A chin implant in a thin narrow face will often make it look longer which is why a sliding genioplasty that brings the chin forward and vertically shortens it is a better chin augmentation procedure in that facial shape type..

Where you have been placing injectable fillers is in the jaw angle region and placing widening jaw angle implants would be a more assured and effective approach. Another effective approach is cheek augmentation, particularly in the malar-submalar region for some midface widening/volume addition.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World Renowned Plastic Surgeon