A strong chin has long been thought to indicate a strong personality. A person with a small chin or “weak” chin as it is often thought of may feel that others perceive them as being “pushovers” or weak willed people and this is particularly true for men. If you are bothered by the appearance of a weak jaw line or small chin, you may wish to consider chin augmentation.

A chin augmentation procedure can provide balance and correct proportions of the face. A small chin may make the nose appear to be larger than it actually is. A weak chin may also give the appearance of a thick or fatty neck with no definition. Some people feel like a weak chin makes them look sad, mousy, dour or even older.

Chin implants can dramatically enhance the appearance and increase self esteem for those who feel that their chin is just too small. In fact, science has shown that when one feels better about themselves, including how they look, health and happiness actually improve. If you are considering chin implant surgery, there are several things you will need to know.

What are my options?

Chin augmentation may be done with a number of chin implant types:

Gore-Tex – known by the chemical name ePTFE, is used because it is flexible and strong and can be carved into a specific shape. Though it may be initially held in place with a titanium screw, eventually the body’s own tissue may surround and stabilize it. Gore-Tex may cause adverse reactions in some people but in this case, the implant is fairly easy to remove. surgically.

AlloDerm – donated tissue from deceased human subjects is thoroughly purified and used in a number of plastic surgery procedures to provide support, including chin implant augmentation.

Silicone – is also a common type of chin implant used in chin augmentation procedures. A solid silicone shape is designed to provide the appearance of a natural chin.

Injectable chin implant – injectable agents such as collagen or fat may be used in chin augmentation but these are generally temporary and will need to be repeated as the tissue that is injected will usually be absorbed by the body. In addition, as this is a much more minor procedure, it will only be effective for people who need only a small chin augmentation procedure.

How is chin implant augmentation performed?

Depending upon the choice of the plastic surgeon and the patient, general anesthesia may be needed as this is a moderate surgery on the face. An incision will be made either inside the mouth just along the crease between the teeth and lips. Alternatively, an external incision beneath the chin may be chosen.

The implant will then be placed in the appropriate location on top of the existing chin bone and may be screwed in place using titanium screws. If an additional jaw implant is being done at the same time, they will be placed as well. The incision will be closed using procedures to minimize scarring.

Most patients will have some visible swelling and possible bruising along with moderate pain for several days but will be able to return to normal activity after this time. Often full results will not be apparent for several months so it is important to be patient after receiving chin augmentation to wait for the swelling to completely resolve.

When considering any type of plastic surgery, including chin augmentation procedures it is important to choose the correct cosmetic surgeon. You should be prepared to interview the surgeon and examine a number of before and after chin surgery photos to make sure that he or she is skilled at producing the results that you want.

Do not ever consider that a lower cost of chin surgery is a major factor in choosing a physician. Any type of plastic surgery is important enough to choose based on skill and reputation.