Perfect Facial Contour With a Facelift and Chin Implant

Chin implants are used by plastic surgeons to enhance the contours of the face, especially if you have a weaker chin that needs additional definition. When most patients come in for a chin implant, chances are that they are focused only on achieving that extra volume. Likewise, facelift patients tend to concentrate on the anti-aging improvements that can be made to the jaw line and chin, but perhaps they are not thinking about enhancing the area. In many cases, these two procedures, as unrelated as they may seem, can provide the perfect combination of procedures. Refining and redefining the chin and jaw can take years off your look and create a stronger profile.

What Are Chin Implants?

Chin surgery, also known as mentoplasty, is a procedure that can reshape or reconstruct the facial contours of the patient. Chin implants are typically used to achieve this improved contour by adding volume to increase the size of the chin itself. A chin implant is made from synthetic materials, usually silicone , or can be harvested as donor tissue from other areas of the patient’s body.

The size and shape of your chin implant will be determined in a consultation with your plastic surgeon, following an evaluation of your facial structure and the proportion of your features. Chin implants are often recommended to patients that have small chins, weak jaws, undefined facial contour, or lost volume or erosion of the chin due to aging. The chin implant procedure is often paired with a rhinoplasty to give the patient a new and better balanced profile, but pairing this procedure with a facelift is growing in popularity.

What Does a Facelift Do?

Facelift surgery was designed to restore a patient’s youthful appearance by making changes to the lower portion of the face, where excess skin and wrinkles form. During a facelift, your plastic surgeon will work to remove or reduce scars, wrinkles, lax skin, and unwanted fat deposits. The procedure involves the placement of incisions at the hairline near the temples, around the ears, and then following the hair line toward the back of the head. These incisions are strategically placed to avoid obvious, visible scarring.

With the incisions in place, the surgeon will separate the skin from the underlying layers of tissue, including muscle and fat. Sutures can be used to tighten the deeper layers of tissue, if necessary. Any excess fat, skin, and other tissues will be excised. Once the procedure is completed, the surgeon will reposition the skin in a natural-looking position that appears more youthful. The results of many facelift surgeries can leave patients looking up to 10 years younger.

Why Combine a Facelift and Chin Implant?

Anytime you and your plastic surgeon decide to combine two or more procedures, the ultimate goal is to achieve your optimum desired results. In the case of a chin implant and facelift combination, there could be several things at play. Chin implant patients with a lot of excess skin around the jaw line won’t see the real benefit of their new facial contours if it’s obscured by laxity and wrinkles. On the other hand, a facelift patient might be shocked to discover that her chin has actually receded as she has aged, meaning her results will reveal a very weak chin. There are other scenarios that you might face during your consultation, but the end result is the same: combination procedures are chosen for specific reasons. Achieving the results you really want sometimes means pairing up surgeries for a clear and effective strategy.

What Will My Recovery Be Like?

The recovery process from a combination procedure like a facelift with a chin implant won’t be any more challenging for you as the patient. Both procedures tend to cause swelling, redness, and potential bruising in the same area, so you won’t be recovering in multiple places at the same time. The area covered by the facelift includes most of the lower face, as well as incisions along the hairline. Your initial recovery will last about one to two weeks before you are able to return to work and most activities, during which time you’ll need to get lots of rest and keep your head elevated when sitting or sleeping. As your swelling goes down, you’ll be able to do more and your facelift results will slowly become visible.

Recovering from chin implant surgery is very similar and requires many of the same limitations. Most patients are able to resume their full level of activity about 2 to 3 weeks after a chin implant. If you add a facelift procedure, you may have to wait slightly longer. Follow your plastic surgeon’s instructions to ensure that your recovery goes smoothly and you heal completely from both procedures.

Where Can I Get Started?

Learn more about combining your facelift procedure with a chin implant to achieve optimum results by talking with a reputable, credentials plastic surgeon. Consult with Dr. Ronald Lohner, an experienced and board certified plastic surgeon based in Philadelphia who offers male breast reductions to his patients as a solution for gynecomastia. He completed his undergraduate education at Dartmouth College and medical school at UMDNJ-Rutgers. Currently, Dr. Lohner is Chief of Plastic Surgery at Bryn Mawr Hospital and holds a faculty appointment at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine. His peers have selected him as a Philadelphia area Top Doctor for the last 8 years. His office is located at [primary_address] in [primary_city], [primary_statefull], on the Main Line. Please call his office at [primary_phone] to schedule a consultation for your liposuction procedure.