Would a small chin implant be the best way to improve my jawline? (Photo)

thank you for posting your picture. A chin implant is certainly an option based on your picture. Chin implants come in different shapes and materials, and can be inserted either from inside the mouth, or through an incision from the outside underneath your chin. The former, although attractive because there is no visible scar, has a slightly higher risk for infections. Placement of the incision, handling of the overlying muscle and avoiding compression of the mandibular nerve are also important for a successful outcome. Generally speaking, chin implants are a great procedure, esp for patient who do not wish to undergo bony chin surgery / genioplasty. I hope this helps.

I do feel your chin looks a little recessed/smaller, although I can't totally tell bc we are missing parts of your face. I think a small chin implant could be a great option for you.

Chin implants are veeery tempting for surgeons and patients: chep, quick, easy, no technical hassles... but they are calamitous in the short-mid term, so in general advice you against them (little research and you'll find out).

Your chin is quite receded, beyond your perception, this leads to sagging of uper neck, jowels, perioral area, lower face, due to poor skeletal stretching of the overlying soft tissues. A chin implant will never "stretch to the point" so that all that sagginess is gone, only a osseous genioplasty (either sliding or grafted augmentation, depends on the agreed goals) may produce that.

Seek the advice of a surgeon experienced in osseous genioplasties of all kinds.

I believe that a chin augmentation is the best idea for your case. The placement of an implant will greatly improve your facial shape. It's a procedure that can be done in the office with local anesthesia, with or without sedation, and the recovery time will be 1-2 weeks. You will also have a permanent result, which of course, can be easily reversed if you wish. The placement is usually done through the mouth, but it can also be performed with an incision under the chin. There is no significant discomfort during and after the procedure.

Yes, a chin implant is the best way to improve the jawline. The anterior projection of your chin should be in the vertical line to the lower lip. You can see you are almost a centimeter behind that. You will probably need a large chin implant. This is done intra-orally so there are no visible scars, it takes 1 hour to perform under general anesthesia and costs $4,000.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.