About Chin Implants

A weak chin is probably one of the most under recognized detractors from facial harmony. A well proportioned chin is one that when looking at your profile, just barely meets a line drawn straight down from the lower lip. Of course this is a generalization and each individual varies. The value of a good chin can be appreciated by opening any fashion magazine. You will be hard pressed to find a model without a good chin.

The chin balances the face, allows for a more slender appearing neck, and helps produce a nice visual flow along the jaw-line that smoothly transitions up to the cheek bone. For this reason, chin implants can help produce a more striking outcome when combined with facelift. Interestingly, a weak chin can create the optical illusion of a large nose. For this reason, chin implants are frequently combined with rhinoplasty.

Evaluating the chin is very simple to do in the office. During a consultation, photographs are taken and loaded into a computer. This computer allows me to “morph” your image and demonstrate to you the likely outcome of surgery. Chin implants come in many sizes and can be modified to suit your specific needs.

I place chin implants either through an incision on the inside of the mouth or under the chin. When placed through the mouth there are no outwardly visible scars. The process is usually done under a type of anesthesia called conscious sedation or “twilight” anesthesia, however I also do them under local if the patient desires. After the surgery you will have a bandage (tape) which applies pressure to the chin for the first three days. Bruising is typically absent after surgery; however there will be swelling and some soreness.

About Cheek Implants

Cheek implants can be used to accentuate the cheekbone and/or produce a more youthful appearance. For some, having weak cheekbones is a matter of genetics and not age. Others may have good bone structure, but the loss of fat in the upper face with age gives the appearance of hollowed out cheeks. Both of these conditions can be corrected with cheek implants.

Implants come in many shapes and sizes with some designed to fill out hollow cheeks and others designed to produce higher cheekbones and yet others that will do both. Your situation will determine which is used.

The cheek implant is placed through an incision inside the mouth. Bruising is usually very minimal or absent after surgery and typically dressings need be worn just for the first night. There will be some swelling and soreness of the area for a few weeks after surgery, although it is mild enough that casual acquaintances will likely not notice. You should plan on taking it easy for one week after surgery avoiding lifting, bending, and strenuous exercise.

Before and after chin implant