Would A Lower Facelift Improve My Jawline Definition?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had jaw augmentation done by you several years ago (bony genioplasty and custom jawline implant). a I’m happy with the added volume of the mandibular implants, but I’d like a sharper jawline, especially when viewed from the side, as the jaw–neck transition still feels a bit soft. I wanted to know:

* What options might help improve jawline definition while keeping the implants?

* Could a neck/ lower face lift meaningfully help in my case?What challenges would a neck/lower face lift present given my existing mandibular implants, which I would prefer to keep?

A:Thank you for the long term follow-up. I would need to see some current pictures of your face to better answer your question. However I would suspect that you have maximized the effectiveness of jaw augmentation. While increasing the size of your current  jaw augmentation does stretch out the skin and would improve definition there is a point where the jaw augmentation becomes disproportionately large…not to mention it is not a prudent choice with a surgical result that is working well and has had an uncomplicated course.

Therefore I can certainly understand your focus on soft tissue management and we know you have thick overlying soft tissues. The question is not whether you can have a lower facelift, as jaw augmentation does not preclude any overlying soft tissue management. The real question is how effective would it be and are the auricular scars required to do the procedure worth the trade-off for the benefits. That requires some careful consideration.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon