Chin Surgery
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The chin is usually one of the least distinctive facial features and not the first part of our face we worry about showing the first signs of aging, but you might be surprised to learn that there is a lot that can go wrong to that smooth cute round dimpled thing we are born with.
As we grow our chin becomes more defined and we lose the puppy fat around our face. We can see the basic shape of our chin, which will remain more or less the same throughout our lives. The ideal chin has been described as protruding to the same point as the lower lip; with women the chin can be slightly more recessive and with men a little more prominent. Attractive chins have been described as 'defined in shape' in both sexes but slightly wider and squarer in males. We might not have this exact version of the perfect chin but most of us are lucky enough to be born with a chin we are happy with.
Common chin problems
Our chin is not affected by old age as much as other areas of the face, however aging of the surrounding areas as well as aging of the skin can have an impact on our lower face as we age. Chin surgery is not usually used to correct the aging of the chin area; a facelift is a more common procedure to restore a sagging jaw line and liposuction around the jaw and below the chin can give you back your defined jaw. Also botox, aesthetic fillers and radio frequency remodelling can help skin problems around the chin such as bobble chins or deep downward crescent dimples.
Our chin actually contains one of our key facial muscles called the mentalis and the shape of this muscle and the surrounding muscles along with the structure of our jaw bone dictates the overall shape of our chin and jaw. Sometimes people are born with a heavy overbite which results in a weak looking chin – one which recedes into the neck. This problem can often be remedied with dental surgery improving the lower teeth and the position at which the jaw sits but sometimes this is not enough to create a jaw line that it balanced with the rest of the face and chin implants and injectables are useful.
Occasionally patients have the opposite problem where their chin projects beyond their jaw, again both dental and cosmetic surgery can provide a solution to this problem. Often patients decide to have a nose revision along with chin surgery to create a more harmonised profile and such facial contouring processes are recommended together to achieve balance.
Chin implants are the most effective way of bringing forward a weak chin or creating a more defined but natural looking jaw line.
Procedure for chin implants
If the patient is hoping to balance their profile by having nose surgery and chin surgery at the same time the chin will be the first to be altered as it's easier to mould the nose to fit with the chin than the other way around.
Chin augmentation is created by inserting an implant made from a firm silicon material (different to that used for softer breast implants) or from newer material such as Gore-tex and Elastomer. These implants will last for the lifetime of the patient and are moulded to a shape that the patient and the doctor agree will be most flattering.
During the operation the implant will be inserted into the chin by one of two methods; either by an incision made inside the mouth or an incision made in the natural crease underneath the chin. The latter approach is more often used when other neck surgery such as a neck lift or liposuction takes place at the same time. However, the former approach is usually preferred by surgeons and patients as it results in no visible scaring and less chance of infection.
The surgeon will cut between the lower lip and teeth and extend the incision right down the chin underneath the muscle. The implant is placed in the correct position behind the muscle to create a more natural look and the wound is stitched with dissolvable stitches that will disappear in their own time. The average time for a simple chin augmentation is one hour. The operation can be carried out under a local anaesthetic so the patient can return home the same day.
After the operation the chin is likely to be quite swollen for a few days and a bandage must be worn if there was an incision made on the outside of the chin. Supporting bandages will be worn at night if not during the day with either procedure. You will have to sleep upright for a while after the operation and you must take great care with your oral hygiene. You can expect to be back to work within two weeks but during this time will probably have to follow a liquid diet.
Risks
As with all invasive surgery there is a risk of infection if after-care is neglected. Should this occur it can be treated successfully with antibiotics in almost all cases or with surgical drainage. There is a possibility of numbness and lack of sensitivity in the chin area after the procedure as well as discomfort caused by the implant. If this occurs the implant can be removed fairly easily or adjusted in the rare case that it moves out of place.