Can anyone reassure me about getting a chin implant? Horror stories are getting to me :(

Do read my Q&A here and you'll understand why; chin implants are not very much advisable, they have lots of technical limitations, they are unsatble, short lasting, get easily infected, dislocated, etc.You'd rather go for a well done osseous genioplasty, which will be natural looking, stable, for a lifetime and way more versatile and harmonios; though rarely practiced among surgeons (chin implants are done in 20 min and pose no technical challenge).

Chin Implant placement is one of the few totally reversible operations we as plastic surgeons do.  It is a safe and effective procedure in skilled hands.  The variety of shapes and sizes of implants is tremendous and offers a multitude of anatomical changes to suit the patient.  There are generally 2 approaches, intraoral or through the inside of your mouth between lip and gum, and under the chin.  I prefer under the chin.  This method obviously doesn't have to go thru the contaminated oral cavity and is technically easy.  You do have to be cognizant of the mental nerve(sensation).  I would be rare to damage a motor nerve using this approach also.  It also allows exact placement and fixation along the lower jawline.  Be sure you consult with a board certified plastic surgeon experienced in this procedure.

It's important to go to a surgeon who has extensive experience with placement of chin implants. In our practice for over 25 years, we have never had a facial nerve branch paralysis that has been permanent in the lower lip. We have had a couple of patients who have had a small area of permanent numbness on one side of the other. Proper placement of the chin implant will not affect the smile. Chin implants are manufactured in a large variety of sizes and shapes which is best determined time of the consultation. In our practice, we use Implantech solid silicone anatomical chin implants with an excellent success rate. For more information, diagrams of the implants and many before-and-after examples, please see the link and the video below

 Hi, I'd be happy to dispel the horror stories surrounding chin implant surgery.  I have performed many chin augmentations using silastic chin implants for over 30 years.  When placed through a small, curved incision under the chin, a silastic chin implant is extremely safe and effective at providing forward projection to a weak chin that will create harmony and balance in the lower face.   Like all things, it's best to have your chin implant surgery performed by an experienced Chin Implant specialist.  I have consulted with several chin implant patients recently that have run across the same type of "false" anti-chin implant hype on the internet.  I wonder if this has anything to do with those that don't perform chin implant surgery and would rather provide dermal fillers every 6 months for the rest of the patient's life.  While I do augment the chin with a temporary dermal filler, I am also able to offer a simple, safe and highly effective permanent solution for correcting a weak chin by placing a silastic chin implant...which is far more cost effective over the years than constantly having a dermal filler. The likelihood or nerve injury from a submental chin implant placement, as I described above, is exceedingly rare in the hands of an experienced chin implant surgeon and is far more likely to happen with an intra-oral approach or a sliding genioplasty, in my humble opinion, both of which are far more invasive and aggressive procedures. There's no reason that you can't have a quick (I perform chin implant surgeries in 30 minutes or less often using a local anesthetic alone) safe and effective chin implant procedure.I do hope this helps and places things in their "proper perspective".  I always caution consumers to be critical of what they read on the internet and carefully consider the source and credentials of the person whose writing what you are reading.