Removal of my Chin Implant from HELL

I figured I would take the time to type this out in hopes that maybe it will help someone else. I got a Chin Implant along with rhinoplasty and it was the worst decision of my life. Not a day goes by that I do not regret this immensely. I eventually had it REMOVED. If you are considering a chin Implant or a chin Implant removal, please read. I wish I would’ve known this before I had my surgery.
A little under 3 years ago I decided to get rhinoplasty. I’d always known I wanted this done. I hated my nose my whole entire life. I had a large hump and I couldn’t stand to see my profile. It was always a complex for me growing up. I started going to consultations at the beginning of 2015. I was very nervous but excited to finally have this procedure done. I had my first plastic surgery consultation EVER in February with a Doctor who I’ll call “Dr. F”. I found him on RealSelf of course. He was an older man and had a lot of experience. Plastic Surgery was such a scary thing to me at the time and I was completely alone at all my consultations. Keep in mind, I was only 19 years old. My face was still developing. Dr. F assessed my nose and we discussed the rhinoplasty procedure. Overall everything was fine until he brought up my chin.... Dr. F told me I had a really weak chin and that I would be a great candidate for a small chin Implant at an additional cost of $1200. He even said I “lacked a chin”. As soon as I heard this I could not get it out of my head. I left the consultation feeling more insecure about myself than ever before. Every time I looked in the mirror all I could see was my “weak chin”. I knew immediately Dr. F was not the surgeon I would choose for my operation. However after my experience, I felt that I NEEDED a chin Implant with my rhinoplasty. I would not let it go.
At the end of February I had another consultation with a new doctor. I’ll call him Dr. S. I immediately felt more optimistic about this surgeon from the moment I walked into the office. Once I met with Dr. S he was so kind and patient with me. We talked out the nose surgery and he gave me details on exactly what he planned to do. After we evaluated the nose I told him I wanted a chin Implant. He immediately told me no. He told me he thought my face shape was fine just the way it was and that it wasn’t necessary. I refused to accept this answer because of this newfound insecurity I had built up. Eventually, Dr. S told me if I wanted it that badly he would do it. I got the quote for the rhinoplasty + chin Implant from Dr. S and called my family immediately. I knew I wanted Dr. S to be my surgeon. I told them the pricing and then I mentioned the additional chin Implant. My family also advised me against this. They pretty much refused to allow it. Essentially I had to BEG them. Finally I talked them into it. I booked my procedure with Dr. S for May. I had never been more anxious/excited!
The day of my operation arrived quickly. Before the surgery Dr. S showed my mother and I the Implant he’d be using for the chin. It was an extremely small piece of silicon probably no more than 2in wide. I felt confident that this would be super subtle and unnoticeable. The procedure went well. The first few days post op I looked like a rectangle. My jaw swelled up a lot. After about a week the swelling went down a ton. My nose was amazing. He did a perfect job. It was better than I’d imagined. I was so happy. The chin seemed great at first! I spent the summer relaxing with friends and family. No one even noticed my surgery. People kept telling me how great I looked too. Everything was awesome. I actually LOVED the chin Implant during the first few months post op.
About 3-4 months post op everything changed. My chin no longer looked natural and subtle. It looked LARGE and botched. No one noticed but all I could see in my reflection was a huge long chin. It did not fit my face shape at all anymore. I hated it. Not to mention my face seemed to have thinned out. I was more active than usual. Overall, i just started to grow up and shed my the baby weight in my cheeks. This would go on for the next few years of my life. This disproportionate chin was always in the back of my mind. I always thought my face looked SO long. I wanted it out but I was terrified of what would happen afterwards. I went back to Dr. S a number of times to discuss it. He actually recanted his original opinion and told me he liked the chin on me. He didn’t want to take it out. I felt like I could trust him so I left it in. I continued to go back and forth on this for a very long time. I would always compare my chin to other women in photos. It was so unhealthy. I hated Snapchat. I hated selfies. I could not even dare take a photo of myself with the front camera anymore. I also felt like my chin would swell up all the time. It felt bigger if I was drinking, if I slept on my face, or if I touched it. My boyfriend at the time would touch my face and the chin would be so sensitive at times. I would want to cry from the pain. It was always on and off. I felt like it was constantly shifting and adjusting. Sometimes it looked normal other times it looked so weird. It was torture.
Flash forward to the beginning of 2018. I was at a low point in my life. I felt like I needed to do something for myself that would make me happier. Finally I bit the bullet and decided I was going to take this stupid thing out once and for all. I was so terrified. I’ve seen so many mixed reviews on this website. I did not know what to expect. Chin implants are not that common. It is hard to find good information about the removal process because everyone heals differently. I read about a lot of women getting built up scar tissue and looking worse than they did with the implant. I told myself I needed to deal with the consequences. This was a mistake I made because I was trying too hard to be perfect. I realized that there is no such thing. Plastic surgery is totally okay and I will always be grateful for the way my nose looks now thanks to Dr. S. However, I should’ve listened to him and stopped pushing for more... I ended up going to a new doctor that specializes in reconstructive plastic surgeries. I was referred to him through RealSelf. I paid about $1400 to have the implant removed. The chin implant was in for almost three years. I am only one week post op and I already feel 110% better. I am so much happier with myself. I feel like me again. I look in the mirror and I see the face shape I used to have before the implant. I LOVE IT. I know it is not perfect but that is no longer what I want. I wanted the face shape back that I was born with. The numbing is almost completely gone. It is no longer sensitive to the touch. It feels as if the implant never happened. I can’t even believe it’s only been a week and I’m already this content.
If there’s anyone that is struggling with a chin Implant please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I can keep you updated on the way things go from here on out. If I’ve learned anything from this it’s that you should trust the people that love you. Do not trust a doctor that pushes you or makes you feel more insecure about yourself. The right surgeon will ALWAYS make you feel more confident.

This was taken only 9 days after the implant was removed. I finally feel like I have my old face back! I am so happy. It is still hard to smile. It’s getting better everyday though. I’ve also been experiencing some pain in my neck, especially when I’m trying to sleep. Under my chin is a bit bruised and swollen still. I think that’s what is causing the pain.

Here is a final update! The first photo is before I had the implant removed, second photo is 3 weeks after I removed the chin implant. I am sooooo happy with the way it turned out. The implant was terrible. It even made my lips appear so much smaller. I’m so glad I finally took it out. Please please please think twice about getting a chin implant! Hope someone else can learn from my mistake. I can’t believe I let that stupid thing cause me misery and pain for almost 3 years.