Genetic double chin - Chin Implant Vs Chin Liposuction? (Photos)

Question

I am a petite, slim woman in my mid twenties, however have always had a genetic double chin, no matter my weight. I have recently started to notice this more and have become self-conscious of it, so have decided to get it corrected. I am wondering whether chin liposuction would be sufficient or if I have a weak chin and require a genioplasty in addition?

Kyle Kimura, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and photos! 
The area below the chin also known as the submentum can be a challenging area to evaluate from photos alone. Fullness in the area can be due to excess fat, muscle, or skin. If the area is just fat alone then traditional liposuction can be helpful, however I think unfortunately that is less common. This procedure can only address fat superficial to the muscle which can be a small component of the fullness and there is often more fat that lives deep to the muscle. I would not recommend a chin implant as your chin projection looks about appropriate from what I can tell in your photos. The last option which I think is the most powerful (but also the larger surgery) would be some type of deep neck or direct neck lift using and incision under the chin to directly remove fat, muscle, glands, etc that are causing the fullness. 
Your best option is to schedule a consultation with a plastic surgeon familiar with facial rejuvenation who can perform a thorough exam and determine the best option for you. 
Hope this helps and best of luck! Kyle Kimura, MD

Waylon Zeng, MD · Answer

Hi there thank you so much for your question and sharing your photos. I understand that you are concerned with the appearance of your chin/jawline despite being a thin petite woman. In your situation, I would NOT recommend isolated liposuction in this area. Neck liposuction is only a good idea when the neck is very full. In your situation, it will have a slightly improvement, but it will significantly age the appearance of your neck in about 10 years. Looking at your profile, a chin implant could potentially help your facial harmony, however it would not correct your main concern. While you do not have a super strong chin, you also do not want to have a super pointy or protruding one either. 
In your situation, a mini-deep plane neck lift with an incision just underneath the chin would do a more powerful job at contouring the deeper tissue to create that sharp jawline. The fullness you are seeing is mostly due to the deeper tissue. This can be combined with a very light amount of liposuction to improve the jawline. Hope that helps!

Paul E. Chasan, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.  Although I believe a chin implant would do well for you, many of my patients like yourself do not require chin implant.  I would rather perform submental liposuction and fat transplantation to the chin. I have performed this combination in many patients who really do not need a full chin implant and the results are excellent.  Best wishes to you.

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

A chin implant will give you more anterior projection and tighten the skin envelope. The chin implant is placed intra-oral so there are no external scars. Liposuction can be done to remove fat. It is possible to do both simultaneously.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Julian De Silva, MD · Answer

Hi gmoroney, thank you for your question and photos. A double chin in a slim woman in her mid twenties is rarely just fat, which is why the answer is not automatically liposuction. Three things set the shape under the jaw: the amount and position of fat (some sits above the neck muscle and suits liposuction, some sits beneath it and does not), the projection of the chin bone itself, and where the hyoid bone sets the angle of your neck. If the chin is genuinely short, removing fat alone can leave the area looking deflated without improving the profile, and this is where a chin implant or genioplasty earns its place by giving the jawline a proper endpoint. Sometimes the honest answer is a combination, and sometimes it is neither. From your description and photos this needs profile analysis in person, ideally with a surgeon who works only on the face, before anything is booked.

Andre Rafizadeh, MD · Answer

Hey, gmoroney, thanks for the question. Looking at your photos, one question that pops up is: how does your neck appear in the mirror, the side profile, when your weight fluctuates? Does it get worse or get better? If it fluctuates and if it's ever been in a place where you've been more happy, then I do think that chin liposuction would be of some benefit to you. Unfortunately, from the photos you took, I can't see a full profile, but the consideration for a chin implant is there. However, I don't think it's wrong to start with chin liposuction first. If you're happy with that, then that may be all you need. Chin liposuction can be done in the office, awake, with local anesthesia.

Genetic double chin - Chin Implant Vs Chin Liposuction? (Photos)

Answers (6)

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