Improve Your Jawline with a Chin Augmentation

You’re told you should love yourself, flaws and all, but the reality is that when you have a perceived defect, you feel embarrassed or ashamed. If you feel that a weak chin or an undefined jawline labels you as meek or having a weak character, you may create a self-fulfilling prophecy for yourself.

Fortunately, there’s genioplasty, better known as chin augmentation. It’s a surgical procedure that restructures the chin, neck, and jawline contours. An implant over and around your existing chin bone augments its size and shape, helping to create a more naturally attractive balance between facial features.

At 817 Surgical Arts, facial and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Emily Johnson offers chin augmentation in Fort Worth, Texas, to help you redefine your features and become more comfortable in your skin. Here’s what’s involved.

Goals of chin augmentation

The primary goal of chin augmentation is to create facial harmony, but interestingly, one of the main reasons people get a genioplasty is due to the size of their nose. Small chins make large noses look even larger, while large chins make small noses look even smaller. As a result, genioplasty and rhinoplasty (a “nose job”) are often performed together. In fact, chin augmentation is often coupled with a face-lift, a neck lift, blepharoplasty (eye lift), and/or a brow lift; when all face areas are addressed, all features fall into balance.

4 reasons to consider chin augmentation

Specifically, chin augmentation can:

1. Bring chin into more pleasing proportion with other features
2. Correct a weak chin
3. Help define the jawline and neck
4. Help reduce the appearance of a double chin caused by small chin bone

Chin augmentation won’t change your entire life, but it can enhance your appearance so what you see in the mirror better meets your expectations.

What can I expect during the chin augmentation procedure?

Chin augmentation can be performed by moving the bone to a more forward position or using an implant. This small, solid device of the latter is made from a biocompatible material (usually silicone, with or without additional fat) and shaped to fit around your chin bone. Dr. Johnson explains her approach during your initial consultation.

When you arrive for surgery, we give you a local numbing medicine, as well as a sedative, to help you relax. Depending on which type of chin augmentation she’s using, Dr. Johnson may either harvest fat from another area of your body to contour the implant or make a small incision under your chin or inside your mouth. She restructures the tissues as needed, placing the implant under the skin and muscle tissues. She secures the implant in place and closes your incisions with sutures.

The procedure usually lasts about 1-2 hours, but if you’re having a rhinoplasty or other procedures at the same time, you can expect that estimate to increase.

Recovery and results

You can expect some temporary bruising, redness, swelling, or tenderness following the surgery, and numbness in your chin is a common but temporary side effect. Take any prescribed or OTC medications as directed, keep the treatment area clean, stay well hydrated, and get plenty of rest.

Compared to many other, more invasive, plastic surgeries, chin augmentations don't require a lot of downtime; most patients can return to office-type work within about a week and to strenuous activity after 3-4 weeks, but always check with Dr. Johnson to be sure it’s okay. Generally, people don’t have much discomfort, and what they do have can be controlled with OTC pain relievers and cold compresses.

You’ll need to sleep face-up, with your head elevated, for a minimum of 1-2 weeks after surgery. This helps to minimize swelling and allows the incisions to heal properly. Dr. Johnson may also recommend a liquid-only diet for a day or two after surgery so you don’t shift the implant with chewing.

The swelling around the implant takes a while to recede, so while you may see some results at about the one-month mark, the final results most often occur about 3-4 months after the procedure. Many chin implants last a lifetime.

Are you ready to balance your features and/or chisel your jawline? 817 Surgical Arts can help with chin augmentation. To learn more or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Johnson, call our office at 817-241-5375 or book online with us today.