Will A Cleft Chin Implant Create A Visible Vertical Chin Cleft?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I would like to enquire about your custom cleft chin implant design for male three-piece total jawline augmentation. My question is, is this procedure for men with existing cleft chins, or is it to create a cleft chin. If it is to create a cleft chins, then how does the procedure work. I always wanted a cleft chin as this is a big facial feature in my family and I have lost out on this characteristic/ feature.

I look forward to your response. 

A: The creation of a vertical cleft in the chin is done the same way whether one is getting a chin implant or not. A chin cleft does not occur because there is a cleft in the bone, this is a soft tissue ‘deformity’. Thus just because there is a cleft in a chin implant this alone will not make an externally visible cleft. The soft tissue has to be vertically removed or ‘clefted’ and then sewn down tightly to the bone. When making a cleft in a patient who is getting a chin implant a cleft is put into the implant so that the bone can be reached to tighten down the soft tissues to it. To make a very deep vertical chin cleft this is done by also removing external skin as well.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana