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What Type of Chin Implant is Best For You?
My role as a facial plastic surgeon is to improve the balance and proportions of the face. If we can accomplish this, we allow our patients to look like a better version of themselves while still maintaining natural results. One area of the face that is commonly evaluated for balance and proportion is the chin and jawline area.
The importance of the chin
The chin and the jawline might arguably be the most important bony feature of the face. Good bone structure along this area will give definition and angulation along the jawline and neck line. The strength through this area is universally attractive in both males and females. Strength along the chin for male also gives out the perception of masculinity and confidence. Weakness in the chin or the jawline region can create the opposite interpretation.
What are the options to strengthen the chin and jawline?
Generally speaking, there are two primary methods to improve the appearance of the chin and the jawline. They are:
- Nonsurgical chin augmentation with dermal fillers
- Surgical chin augmentation with implants
The focus of this blog is to list the different types of chin implants to choose from and create a framework for patients to understand the reason why I choose to use silicone chin implants in my practice. For this reason, I will not discuss the nonsurgical options for augmenting the chin in this blog.
Chin implants by type
Chin implants differ by 3 main categories:
- Implant material
- Implant size
- Implant shape
What are the options in chin implant materials?
Chin implants can be made from different types of materials. The most common materials include:
- Silicone
- Gore-Tex
- Medpor
At Carolina Facial Plastics in Charlotte, I will only use implants made of silicone, since these are the easiest to remove should that become necessary. Gore-Tex and Medpor implants are porous, meaning they have small cavities throughout the implant. During the healing process, the body’s tissue will scar into these porous areas of the implant. When this process occurs, it can be extremely difficult to remove the implants. Silicone implants are solid and do not allow the body’s tissue to integrate with them. Because of this feature, silicone implants are easily removed even 20 years later. If somebody is placing an implant in their body, I believe it’s a safer option to have one that could be easily removed at a future date.
What are the different sizes and shapes of chin implants?
Chin implants come in a variety of sizes and shapes. When choosing an implant shape, I consider:
- The angulation or smoothness of the chin implant
- The degree of taper of the implant on the sides
The angulation of the implant is important because some patients will want an angular or chiseled appearance while others would prefer a smoother and more feminine appearance. More likely than not, our male patients would prefer a more chiseled look while our females would prefer one that is less angular.
Chin implants can also differ in shape along the sides of the implant. Some implants will end abruptly while others will get progressively smaller to blend in with the other facial tissues. I prefer the type of chin implants that slowly taper on their sides as I believe they create a more natural result.
Chin implants come in a range of sizes as well. Off-the-shelf implant sizes include extra-small, small, medium, large, and extra-large. The size of the implant is chosen before the surgery. During a consultation, I use imaging morphing to change the patient’s face on a screen. This lets me know the ideal location that the patient would like their chin implant to be placed. I take this picture in with me during surgery. During a chin implant procedure, there are implant sizers that can be placed into the area where the chin implant will go. A variety of sizer’s are placed until the one that looks most like the picture is found. That implant size is the one that is ultimately placed into the chin tissue. To learn more about chin implants, visit ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
What is a custom chin implant?
A custom chin implant is considered the Rolls-Royce of chin implants. To produce a custom implant, a CT scan is first used to visualize the bones of the face. This CT scan is then used to design a custom chin implant. This option is great for patients that have significant asymmetries of their face or have an extremely weak chin. With this technology, we are able to create a superior result in regards to facial symmetry. While this is a fascinating option, most patients will not need a custom chin implant.
Why choose Carolina Facial Plastics in Charlotte for my chin implant?
Dr. Jonathan Kulbersh is the facial plastic surgeon at Carolina Facial Plastics. He is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon that only specializes in surgeries of the face. He has extensive experience in placing chin implants. He is known for creating natural results and also has techniques to minimize the recovery. If you would like to learn more about chin implants and whether you would be a good candidate, please schedule a consultation here.
