(original post: http://www.yourplasticsurgeryguide.com/face-lift/chin-surgery.htm)
A balanced facial appearance depends partly on the shape and size of your chin in relationship to your nose. Chin surgery can reduce (mentoplasty) or augment (genioplasty) the chin to give your face a more balanced appearance.
A recent study of
facial bones by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons demonstrated that individual facial bones shift, reduce, or enlarge with age. Because of the age-related nature of the changes, most chin surgery patients are adults.
Options and Combinations
Other procedures may be performed with chin surgery. For example,
liposuction may be used to treat a double chin or to remove excessive fat in the chin area and neckline. Your surgeon may suggest chin surgery as a supplement to
nose reshaping, because a small chin can make the nose appear larger. Chin surgery may be recommended as part of a
combination treatment plan for a
facelift patient as well.
For a droopy chin (sometimes call "witch's chin"), your doctor may recommend corrective elevation. Orthognathic chin surgery is another option, which treats birth defects causing dental malocclusion, which inhibits the ability to eat.
Getting Started with Chin Surgery
Chin surgery is usually performed in an outpatient surgical center or hospital. The procedure may be performed under local anesthesia (sedated, numbed, and awake). For more complicated cases, general anesthesia may be used (asleep). Patients usually return home within hours of the procedure. Some patients require an overnight stay. Depending upon the extent of the case, time in surgery may be one or more hours.
To decide how to proceed, the surgeon will examine your chin and jaw, and weigh factors that could influence the outcome of surgery, such as your age, skin type, and whether you are psychologically prepared for treatment.
READ MORE ABOUT Chin Surgery: Genioplasty (Augmentation) and Mentoplasty (Reduction)
