Am I a good candidate for chin lipo? (Photo)

Question

I’m 31 years old and have noticed I have developed a bit of fat under my chin and this has caused me to not have a defined jawline which I want. My face is usually on the fuller side. Underneath I think I have not so bad none structure but I need the fat taken out for this to show. Am I a good candidate for chin lipo and if I do it will I have any contouring issues?

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

At 31 years old, you are in an age group that often does quite well with submental (under-the-chin) liposuction, especially when the concern is localized fullness beneath the chin with a less-defined jawline.

From your photo and description, I can see why you’re considering it. The fullness appears to be concentrated in the submental area rather than being caused solely by a very small chin or significant skin laxity. Your underlying jaw and chin structure does seem to provide a foundation that could potentially become more visible if some of that excess fat were reduced.

A few things surgeons typically look for when deciding whether someone is a good chin lipo candidate:

Localized fat under the chin
Good skin elasticity (the skin can tighten after the fat is removed)
Minimal loose or hanging skin
Reasonable underlying bone structure
Stable weight

Based on what I can appreciate in the photo, your skin appears relatively firm, which is reassuring and lowers the risk of noticeable contour irregularities.

What About Contouring Problems?

This is a very common concern, and it’s smart to think about it beforehand.

Possible contour issues after chin lipo can include:

Unevenness or small lumps
Over-removal of fat leading to a hollow appearance
Residual fullness if too little fat is removed
Loose skin if elasticity is poor

In someone your age with mild-to-moderate fullness and good skin tone, these problems are much less common when the procedure is performed conservatively. In fact, the most natural results usually come from removing enough fat to create definition without aggressively hollowing the area.

One important nuance: sometimes a softer jawline is caused by a combination of submental fat and a slightly recessed chin. In those cases, chin augmentation (filler or implant) combined with a small amount of liposuction can create a more dramatic improvement than liposuction alone. From your photo, I would not immediately assume you need chin augmentation, but it is something that is often assessed during facial profile evaluation.

My Overall Impression

I would place you in the category of “likely a reasonable candidate for chin liposuction,” assuming:

your weight is relatively stable,
the fullness has persisted despite weight management,
and an in-person examination confirms good skin elasticity and adequate support from the neck muscles and chin.

The encouraging part is that your concern appears to be early and moderate rather than severe, and those are often the patients who achieve the most natural-looking jawline enhancement with the lowest risk of contour deformities.

If you were my patient, I would be cautiously optimistic that a conservative chin liposuction procedure could improve jawline definition and the angle between the chin and neck without creating obvious contouring issues, provided the skin quality is as good as it appears in the photo.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Matthew Schulman, MD · Answer

Even though you don't have a lot of fat, you still appear to be a good candidate for chin liposuction. This is because it can very specifically remove the small amount of fat that you are complaining of. Also, liposuction can contour the jawline and given an improved appearance, even if the actual amount of excess fat is small.

Jeremy Bosworth, MD · Answer

From the pictures it looks like you would be a great candidate for submental (chin) liposuction. In my practice I almost always pair this with a skin tightening procedure as well (I use FaceTite) because it is usually a combination of fat and skin and to get the best result I think addressing both is best. There is always a risk of contour issues with any liposuction procedure but a plastic surgeon who performs this often will know how to minimize the changes of this happening.

Michael P. Morrissette, DDS, FACS · Answer

It appears that you are a candidate for chin liposuction. I usually recommend simultaneous jawline liposuction as well. In addition, sometimes I prefer to perform liposuction on the lower face as well.

Jeffrey H. Spiegel, MD · Answer

Yes, we could do some liposuction there, but, radiofrequency liposuction (like facetite / necktite) is an office procedure that will also shrink the skin a bit. That would be my first recommendation based on your photos.

Michelle Copeland, MD, DMD · Answer

Thank you for your question! The double chin area is a common problem area. Here at my office, we perform chin/neck liposuction. We use a combination of liposuction techniques tailed for you to help contour your chin and neck. You may also be a candidate for filler. This will allow us to improve the contour of your jawline and chin. You may also benefit from fillers to help improve the contours of your face and jawline.    For permanent chin augmentation chin implants can be inserted through a small incision under the chin. I suggest you make an appointment with a board-certified plastic surgeon who will examine you and go over your options and discuss potential results in detail.

Alex Cheah, MD · Answer

Hey there - great question! Based on your photos, you would likely benefit from some liposuction to the area under your chin. It will also help to define your jawline to some degree. Best option would be to make an in-person consultation to evaluate specific areas that can be addressed. Hope that helps!

Am I a good candidate for chin lipo? (Photo)

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