Will A More a Defined and Angular Jawline Make My Face Look Better?

Q: I am 20 yrs old. I would like some advice on jaw angle implants. I want a more defined angular jawline. I feel that my jaw is disproportionate and makes both my nose and forehead appear large. Also I would like to see about a rhinoplasty because I have a hump midway up my nose. Thank you for your time.

A: A small jaw shape or jawline can make even well proportioned other facial features seem ‘big’. Since the features of a face are all interacted to make an overall appearance, it is not surprising that an imbalance in one part of one’s facial anatomy makes other parts seem out of balance. It may well be that the nose is too big or overprojecting as well  and this will conversely magnify a shorter jaw.

Understanding how one facial feature impacts another is best played out for each patient through computer imaging. By just changing one feature, such as the chin or nose, one can appreciate whether the primary focus of facial restructuring should be.

Like the nose and chin, the jaw angles lend themselves well to computer imaging. Changes can be easily visualized in both front, oblique and side views to see if jaw angle implants would be facially beneficial. When imaging jaw angles, it is important to look at both an increase in jaw angle width as well as jaw angle vertical lengthening. It is this vertical angle lengthening that is often underappreciated or forgotten when considering this facial prominence change.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana