Cosmetic Chin Surgery

Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeons and plastic surgeons at UT Southwestern Medical Center have specialized training in facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. We offer exceptional care for people seeking cosmetic chin surgery (chin lifts) to improve appearance and restore function.

Expertise in Chin Lifts and Chin Surgery

Chin surgery is a procedure to reshape the chin to either enlarge it with an implant or reduce its profile with reduction surgery on the bone. Depending on the patient’s needs, chin surgery involves either inserting an implant or moving or reshaping bones.

At UT Southwestern, our board-certified surgeons have years of experience in performing chin surgery such as chin lifts. We work closely with each patient to understand their appearance goals and interest in surgery. We also participate in ongoing research to more fully understand how aging affects the face, to improve surgical techniques that provide a rejuvenated appearance, and to effectively use new technology in our patient care.

Candidates for Chin Surgery 

Chin surgery is cosmetic surgery to balance facial proportions and improve appearance. Chin surgery can help people who have:

• Receding or “weak” chins
• Poor occlusion (the way teeth fit together) such as an overbite or underbite (Accompanied dental work or further surgery may be needed to fix the occlusion)
• Asymmetry, in which the chin is pushed to one side
• Overprojecting or “long” chins

Options for Chin Lifts

A chin lift can be done alone or in combination with other cosmetic procedures, such as a face lift or a neck lift.

Depending on whether the patient wants a smaller or larger chin, the surgeon might use implants or reshape and move bones. The procedures are called:

• Chin implantation: The use of synthetic implants to reshape, enlarge, or push the chin forward
• Sliding genioplasty: Surgery to move the chin bone either forward, to help the chin project farther, or back, to reduce a chin that projects too far forward
• Chin shaving: Surgery to use a special burr to shave to excess chin bone
• Chin fat injection: Injection of centrifuged fat from one’s own body in the soft tissues area of the chin for subtle enlargement of the chin 
• Hyaluronicacid filler injection of chin: Non-surgical biodegradable fillers made with hyaluronicacid

What to Expect From a Chin Surgery 

A chin lift is an outpatient procedure, and patients can go home the same day. In the first step, our surgeons discuss anesthesia options with patients to provide comfort during the procedure. We typically use general anesthesia, but sometimes we use a local anesthesia to numb the chin area, along with sedation medication to help patients relax.

In the second step for a chin implantation, the surgeon makes an incision either inside the mouth or under the chin. The surgeon creates a pocket in front of the chin and under the muscles to hold the implant and then inserts the implant, which can be either bone or made of silicone or other synthetic material. The implant is usually attached to the bone with screws or stitches.

For a sliding genioplasty, the surgeon makes an incision inside the mouth to access the chin bone. Using a bone saw, the surgeon cuts through the jawbone, then moves it to its desired position. The jawbone is reattached using wires, small plates, or screws to hold it in place.

Chin shaving is done with either an incision in the mouth or under the chin and uses a specialized burr to shave the excess bone.

The third step for both procedures has the surgeon closing the incisions using sutures, skin adhesives, or tapes. If the incision was inside the mouth, patients will have no visible scars.

During their recovery, patients can expect to:

• Receive medication to relieve discomfort and soreness for a few days after the procedure
• Have some swelling, numbness, or a stretching sensation around the chin for about one week; most swelling goes away in about six weeks 
• Return to work and most activities within seven to 10 days
• Resume more strenuous activities after a few weeks