What Is The Best Way To Reduce The Size Of My Chin?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I would like my chin made shorter, smaller, more even and to have fat removed from the chin where a plastic surgeon mistakenly added fat in my chin. I have outlined the fat I want removed in one picture. I also have sort of a balled chin and I believe it is weird and uneven in many ways including a minor balling problem. I want a normal, nondescript chin, as much as possible without putting in another chin implant.  You can see that my chin is too long, uneven and overly prominent. In one picture I outlined in brown pencil where another plastic surgeon mistakenly injected fat. I would like to have this fat removed if possible. In another picture you can see my overly long chin in profile. In the last picture you can see me pinching the extra skin that resulted from 3 chin implants that were placed and later removed.

A: Thank you for sending your pictures. You will need a significant reduction of some bone and soft tissue to effect a visible chin change. You do not need an implant but a reduction in tissue volume that is best done from a submental chin reduction approach. The chin bone needs to vertically reduced, transversely reshaped and a large wedge of overlying soft tissue removed as well. The fat that was injected was placed in the labiomental fold area, a difficult if not impossible area to remove. Small cannula liposuction can be done but its effectiveness is uncertain.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis,Indiana