Can a Long Face Be Fixed with Plastic Surgery?

Question

My face is very long, I have both a large forehead and a larger chin. I would not be interested in fillers to make it wider because I feel it would just be huge then. I want to know if a chin reduction or forehead reduction would be beneficial, if yes, which will be more so? Thank for any advice! I'm also aware of the ptosis of my left eye, which I plan to fix as well.

Michael A. Persky, MD · Answer

Hi Kezerian,

	It depends what has you looking so long in the face.  To begin with, you are very beautiful.  The procedures that would decrease your forehead length and chin length are quite invasive with risks of complications and deformities.  I would make sure that you are really very bothered by your appearance before risking major changes to your facial proportions.  These are not minor procedures.

	Lowering your hairline will shorten the appearance of your forehead and is less traumatic than having portions of your jawbone removed.

	Consult with a few qualified plastic surgeons.  In the Sacramento area I'd consult with Jonathan Sykes, MD and Thomas Kaniff, MD.  Good luck and be well.  Remember that doing nothing is always an option.

	Dr. P

Ross A. Clevens, MD, FACS · Answer

Dear kezerian,One may perceive your facial structure to be different by the proportion of your features. I suggest you consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon to receive the highest-quality in-person recommendation as a result of their skills, knowledge, treatment and care. Keep in mind that it has been proven
that the following features comprise an attractive female face:

Short upper lip

High cheekbones

Small nose

Short distance
between the chin and mouth

Large eyes, widely
spaced apart

Fine jawline

Petite chin

Brian Maloney, MD, FACS · Answer

Proportion and balance are the foundations of beauty. A tricophytic brow lift, where the incision runs through the fine hairs of the edge of the forehead, and the scalp is advanced forward to help lower the hair line, may be helpful. This can be combined with a brow lift if one is needed. Another option for lowering the hairline is hair transplant. Follicles are harvested from the side or back and placed up front to reconstruct the hair line. Neograft technology now avoids a linear scar from where the hair is taken.

	 Mandibular angle implants are something to think about, or possible fat transfer to add some dimension to the lower third of the face.

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

Jaw surgery is more invasive and traumatic. For 35 years since we invented the Irregular Trichophytic Hairline lowering procedure this is the way to achieve your goal of a lower hairline and less forehead. If I do this on wednesday you can usually return to work on monday. If the scalp is too tight we place a tissue expanded(balloon) under the scalp to stretch it first. The hairline can be lowered 1/2  to 2 inches.

David V. Martini, MD · Answer

you are not as long in the face as you may believe. consider a tricophytic brow lift - this lowers the hairline, which will have a tremendous beneficial effect on your facial proportions. i think once your forehead is more proportionate your head will appear "normal" size due to restored proportions of upper/middle/lower face

Aaron Stone, MD · Answer

The desired facial proportions are equal vertical lengths of the upper, middle and lower sections of the face.  Your mid-face has a noticeably shorter vertical length than your lower and upper face and you have a high frontal hairline. You  could move the frontal hairline forward but doing so will leave you with a scar just in front of the hairline. You may benefit from the removal of a horizontal wedge of bone from the chin as that would decrease lower facial vertical height. However a single frontal photo without a face to face examination is inadequate to fully assess the situation.

	My response to your question/post does not represent formal medical advice or constitute a doctor patient relationship. You need to consult with i.e. personally see a board certified plastic surgeon in order to receive a formal evaluation and develop a doctor patient relationship.

Gerald Wittenberg, MSc, DMD (retired) · Answer

Your facial growth pattern is indeed 'long face' high angle pattern. This means that the lower jaw grows downward at a steeper slope which makes the face 'look longer' and more narrow. The pattern is quite common and correction can include orthodontic surgery with or without genioplasty; or masking surgery to alter the chin height and enhance the face contours. Very successful and appropriate.

Sheldon S. Kabaker, MD FACS (retired) · Answer

I routinely operate to shorten the forehead by lowering the patient's hairline.The scalp and forehead have to have a certain amount of elasticity fore this to be done as a simple one stage operation. If a great deal of reduction is desired or the scalp is tight, then a 2 stage process involving 4-8 weeks of scalp expansion can be done. This may or may not be a satisfactory solution for you.

	Ideally the face should be divided into almost equal horizontal l thirds and boy reducing the forehead, the emphasis might be on the lower 2/3 of the face. This concern can be readily resolved by preoperative computerized imaging which would show you how you might look with selected procedures. In addition to forehead  reduction, there are procedures to shorten the lower third of the face by removing a horizontal piece of the mandible which you have obviously explored.

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