Do Chin Implants Look and Feel Natural?

Chin implants come in different sizes, shapes, and compositions. Most are firm, not at all soft like breast implants, or even rubbery like calf or pec implants. If properly placed below the soft tissues (adjacent to the bone), healing forms a scar that encapsulates and immobilizes the implant (which may have perforations that allow tissue to anchor the implant even further). The sensory nerves to the chin, lips, and gums should be carefully visualized and preserved during the surgery, and once healed, your chin feels normal to touch (by someone else--they will NOT be able to tell), and has normal sensation felt by you. Your appearance will be different, and your smile may be slightly altered as well (usually it is broader and more self-confident!), but the implant itself cannot be felt, moved, or damaged. Infection is rare, but more common with an inside-the-mouth incision compared to the under-the-chin scar, which is why I prefer the nearly-invisible but present scar on the underside of the chin.

A chin implant looks and feels very natural if performed with the proper technique and implant selection. As a board certified plastic surgeon, I am often asked about how chin implants feel. My many patients who have undergone this surgery will tell you that it feels “just like them.” Yet chin-implantation surgery is often a sadly undervalued and underutilized surgery. However, there is no better way EWto bring balance to the face if someone has a retrusive chin. Often, a retrusive chin is accompanied by an overprojected nose. Bringing these two elements into balance can be life-changing. The key is to look like no one touched you! In my practice, I will sometimes custom carve the implant to conform to the patient’s anatomy for a perfect fit. I prefer the “intraoral” approach, placing the implant through a tiny incision inside the mouth so that there are no visible scars on your chin. The implant will not feel fake if someone touches it because it rests on your bone, camouflaged by your muscle and chin pad. What you, or someone else, will feel would be your own tissue in front of the implant. I recommend consulting in person with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns and goals, and to see if you are a good candidate for a chin augmentation.

If a chin
implant is placed by a board certified plastic surgeon you should have a
natural look and feel.  The implant will
integrate with your chin and not be noticeable.

If done correctly and with prudent selection of both patient AND type of implant, all chin implants look and feel natural...PERIOD

Most implants are not palpable or obvious. One natural option would be to undergo Radiesse chin augmentation to improve contour. Raffy Karamanoukian Los Angeles

A chin implant that has been sized and placed correctly feels and looks very natural. The enhancement of the chin area and the balance with the nose is exquisite.

Most chin implants when place properly by a well trained surgeon should look and feel natural both to the patient and to others.

  I would say that almost always chin implants do look and feel very natural after normal healing has occurred.

There are a number of different materials from which chin implants are manufactured. Various surgeons prefer different materials, but performed properly, the results are excellent regardless of the type utilized. In most instances the results feel and look great. Fortunately, removal of these implants is very rare and I consider them one of the most stable implants we use.

The chin implants I used in my San Francisco Bay Area practice are comprised of rubberized solid silicone. The implants are flexible enough to allow insertion into a carefully created pocket along the front of the jaw bone but are firm enough that they feel like the underlying bone after placement. The implants are placed underneath the skin, fat and muscle of the chin. They should not be palpable if placed properly. The procedure can be performed under local anesthesia (with or without light sedation) or general anesthesia, depending on patient preference. 

As for the look of the implants, I utilize computer imaging during the consultation. This allows the patient to communicate to me how large they would like the chin to be. I then use these photos as a guide during the surgery to determine which size chin implant would most appropriate. The keys to yielding a natural look include proper sizing of the implant and placement in a symmetric fashion. 

Best,

Dr. Mehta

It is difficult to tell that a chin implant was placed once the area heals.

Most implants are made of solid silicone, medpore or gortex and are placed such that they are between your jaw bone and overlying muscle and skin of the chin.

Once the swelling goes down it is very difficult to feel the implant and the implant should heal such that it isn't mobile either.