What is the estimated recovery time for a chin implant?

For chin implant post surgery recovery instructions, I advise the following for my patients: Leave the strap/bandages on until I see you at your 1 week post op appointment.  No showering for this first week, sponge baths are okay.  Keep your head elevated and sleep with approximately 3 pillows under your head for the first 72 hours.   Avoid exposing the scars to sun for at least 12 months post surgery.  No lifting anything over 5 lbs or exercising, including swimming, for 6 weeks following surgery.  No dental cleanings for 6 weeks before and after surgery.  Patients may experience temporary soreness, swelling, bruising, numbness, tingling, and tightness especially when eating or yawning for up to 1 month post chin implant surgery.  You may also experience mild sensory changes in your lower lip which will improve over time.   Hope this helps!

Thank you for your question. Most of my patients are back to regular activities within seven days after a chin implant procedure. There is some bruising and swelling that occurs after the surgery, but these side effects usually subside relatively quickly. As long as you choose an experienced, board-certified facial plastic surgeon for this procedure who sets accurate expectations and customizes your treatment to your precise needs, goals, and facial proportions, you should achieve a very satisfying result.

One of the problems that affects chin implant surgery and can be associated with the satisfaction is the difficulty in planning. Most people feel that the degree of change they require is more substantial than one they would actually enjoy. 3D imaging and simulation can help to bridge this gap and make the outcome of surgery more predictably aligned with expectations. Insufficient correction is generally a source of moderate disappointment, whereas overcorrection can be scary to a lot of people also because they fear that their chin tissues would become overstretched and would not return to normal when the chain size is reduced.

Based on my experience, my patients recover in 7 days.  I use a submental incision and use a silicone implant. I perform the majority under local anesthesia and oral sedation. There is tape that stays on in front of the chin and sutures under the chin for this period. You are not completely healed because there is some minor swelling that still needs to go away but you look good enough to resume work and go out. 

As a facial plastic surgeon in Atlanta who has been performing chin implantation for close to 10 years, I have had one infection that was easily treated with antibiotics.  We've never had to remove an implant and patients are universally happy with the procedure.  Most of my colleagues also find them to be well accepted by their patients.  Chin implant recovery in general lasts 2 weeks. The first week you have to take it easy without any strenous activity or bending over. If you have a chin incision, then taking care of the incision with antibiotic ointment and peroxide is important several times a day. If the incision is in your mouth, then rinsing your mouth with the antiseptic solution recommended by your doctor several times a day, plus a soft diet for a week, is recommended. On day 7, you can work out, bend over, lift heavy objects, and use makeup. However, you will still have bruising and swelling that will be obvious to others. On day 14, you will be able to be out and about and acquaintances will not know you had anything done including coworkers. To you, your chin will still look large. Your perspective will improve at 21 days as the swelling subsides and you start to appreciate the shape of your new chin. By 28 days, patients are ecstatic with their results.

Recovery from chin augmentation surgery will vary with the the type of implant and incision used, and whether other procedures were done at the same time. The chin augmentation recovery process is not considered to be painful relative to other surgeries; oral medication will control pain for the first few days, and after that no pain medicine is typically needed.The evening of your surgery date, your lower lip and mouth may feel numb, as if you’ve been to the dentist. As sensation returns, your lower jaw will feel tight and sore from your body’s natural swelling response. It is at this point that you can take your pain medication, if necessary. You are encouraged to engage in light activity. If your implant was placed through an incision beneath your chin, the sutures (if they are not self dissolving) will be removed after 5–10 days. If your chin augmentation was performed through the mouth, you will be on a liquid or soft-foods diet for a few days while your mucosal skin heals. You will rinse your mouth out regularly to keep the incision clean.The sutures will dissolve on their own over the course of a few weeks.You will experience an odd sensation in your chin for a time while your nerves return to their normal function.

Chin implants begin to heal almost immediately. I prefer the lower chin incision as there is minimal injury to the mucosa inside the mouth.  I would say the typical recovery is a few days.

Your observation is absolutely astute! Chin implant surgery has a very high satisfaction rate. The recovery time depends on the technique used. In my office, because I place the implant through the intra-oral route, recovery is very quick: if you had the surgery on a Thursday, you could be back to work on Monday. Chin augmentation is a very impactful surgery for creating overall facial harmony and to enhance a weak jawline. As a board certified plastic surgeon, I prefer the intra-oral incision (meaning: I place the implant through the mouth) because no scars are visible on the skin, and this approach also benefits from a faster healing time and less bruising. To further help prevent swelling and bruising, I advise all my patients to take Arnica, an over-the-counter homeopathic medication for two weeks before surgery and continuing at least 2 weeks after surgery.

The chin implant operation is a procedure that can be performed under local anesthesia.  It can also be performed under general anesthesia if the patient wishes to do so. The implant is inserted through a small ½ inch incision underneath the chin and placed directly over the bone.  It takes approximately half an hour to perform the procedure.  Most patients have approximately 10 days of bruising and swelling afterwards.  Full healing from the implant takes approximately 2 months, before which is when visible swelling has disappeared.  When performed correctly, the complication rate is much less than 1%.

Chin implantation is a safe procedure that usually results in a happy patient with a quick recovery, less than 2 weeks. It is necessary to wear a supportive garment for the first week full time, then one more week at night.  I have done revisions usually because the implant was too big (especially in women), crooked and even after nerve damage. Make sure you go to a surgeon that you like and is comfortable with this procedure-it shouldn't be a bad experience.