Main Navigation

Chase Lay, MD
Facial Plastic & Oculoplastic Surgery
Asian Eyelid Surgery - Facelift - Rhytidectomy - Rhinoplasty - Blepharoplasty - Laser resurfacing - Otoplasty - Jawline & Cheekbone reduction - Fat Transfer  - Genioplasty - Chin Implant

Chin Implant & Augmentation - Genioplasty 

Chin Augmentation Surgery

Chin augmentation can restore or create improved facial balance and harmony.  Sometimes referred to as a “weak” chin, on a man, this may feminize the face and may even unjustifiably carry negative psychological overtones about his character.   In the case of a woman with a weak chin it can in some instances make a prominent nose appear even more so or give the face a weak appearance. In some instances chin enhancement, alone, is the only procedure needed to create a balanced relationship between facial structures making additional procedures unnecessary.  For patients with a full or short neck, chin enhancement or a chin implant can provide the illusion of a longer neck and thereby improve one’s profile with less down time than a face lift or neck lift. Neck liposuction in these patients can do even more to enhance the appearance of the jawline and neck. In the setting of the maturing face, chin enhancement restores the framework around which the skin and tissues are supported and lifted.   Chin implants and chin augmentation can make changes in a person’s face that range from subtle to dramatic.  In either case, Dr. Lay wants to express to his potential patients that there is always some adjustment for the patient to their new appearance.  While to your friends and family, your change is pleasing and natural, there is often a brief period during which you as a patient see someone different in the mirror.  This is normal and passes.  Dr. Lay is there with you during your healing process.



How is the surgery performed?

One of the most satisfying surgeries for both Dr. Lay and his patients is chin augmentation.  Dr. Lay performs this transformation of the chin a variety of different ways.  
  • Chin Implant:  The chin can be augmented with the appropriate chin implant which does a great job of redefining the jawline and giving a pleasing height and projection to the chin. The surgery is performed by making either a small incision under the chin or inside the mouth between the lower lip and gum line. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages. For instance, the intra-oral route has a slightly higher risk of infection and a slightly prolonged healing time compared to the incision under the chin. The incision under the chin takes a few weeks to heal but is imperceptible once completely matured.  This procedure can be performed under local anesthesia.  
  • Genioplasty with osteotomies:   This is when the bone of the chin and jaw are carefully cut and the free segment of the chin is repositioned in its new more aesthetically pleasing position. 
Since Dr. Lay is trained in double-trained in Facial Plastics and Oral surgery he versed in both chin augmentation with implants and chin sculpting by altering the bone itself.    The risks of chin implant surgery or a genioplasty are numbness of the lower lid, infection, or undesirable appearance scar. Most of these issues can be dealt with with reasonable ease in the postoperative period.   Overall recovery time for either approach is between five and 10 days.