Chin Implant Augmentation of Jaw Facial Enhancement San Diego, CA

This young female patient from San Diego is a great example of how a chin implant can significantly enhance facial harmony and balance without looking surgically ‘altered’ or ‘done’ as some people fear. This particular patient had what we would describe as facial plastic surgeons was poor chin projection. Meaning, her chin simply too small for her lower face and did not project outward sufficiently to be in balance with the mid to upper face. In most cases, we evaluate chin projection and position by looking at the side view, or profile.This is shown in the adjacent photo diagram of this patient taken prior to chin implant surgery. An imaginary vertical line is typically drawn straight down from where the red and white lip meet. Ideally, the chin in a female patient should project forward to within millimeters of this line on average. As you can see, the most prominent point of her chin, as seen from the side view, sits several millimeters behind what is considered ideal.

Chin Implant For Facial Enhancement

In this case, the patient opted for augmentation of her chin using a chin implant, which is clearly the most common method of chin enhancement in my practice. By going from underneath her chin, I was able to hide the scar quite nicely. In addition, this approach allowed for more accurate placement of the chin implant and less likelihood of her getting an infection (compared with placement done through the mouth). Overall, you can see from her before and after photos that her lower face is now in much better balance and harmony with the mid and upper face regions. Her chin contour has been notably enhanced and she has improved definition of her jawline. Arguably most important is the fact her jaw and chin still look very natural for her facial features. Although we know she has a chin implant, this is not something that is readily picked up by someone walking by her on the streets of San Diego.