Medium Chin Implant - Seattle, WA

On Monday 7/11 I had a chin implant done. The procedure took minimal time. I came in at 7:30 and was done by 9. It was done under local anesthesia. The nurse injected me about 10 times around the chin area. Once numb, the doctor went to work. The scraping of the bone to create a pocket was probably the worst part for me (though getting injected with a needle down to the bone wasn't that great either). They did no put a compression guard on me. Some stitches and then I was on the way.

Upon arriving home, I took some prescribed pain meds as the pain was slowly beginning to kick in. I felt as if I had suffered a hit to my face. The swelling was relatively minimal at that point, so I took some photos and was happy with what I saw. This of course changed as the day went on. I had a hard time sleeping the first night. The meds helped quite a bit.

Day 2: I feel much better and can get by without taking any meds, however, the swelling increased tremendously! This is the Jay Leno phase right now. Definitely makes me question if I made the right choice, but I also understand that this is waaaay to early to make any judgments. Nonetheless, it is scary to look at yourself in the mirror. From what I read, it may take a long time for swelling to subside. I am a little concerned.
I also began to develop a large bruise at the incision area.

I will continue with updates.

This was by far the worst day. My doctor did tell me that it will get worse before it gets better, but I don't think I expected this much swelling. My jowls were out of control, especially in the morning. I kept icing throughout the day and also started taking some Arnica pills. Based on some reviews I read, they helped. My bruise continues to get worse. I sent the photo to my doctor and he said it looks fine. I think I could be doing a better job at sleeping more upright.

Swelling of the jowls went down a bit but overall still very swollen, especially in the morning. The bruise isn't really getting better. My lower right side of the lip is numb, including the whole right side of the chin. Speech is still a little off. I can't quite open my mouth wide enough to to eat normal food, so I've been on a liquid diet pretty much. Trying to make sure I drink plenty of fluids.

Today I went in to have my stitches removed. It took less than 5 seconds to do and was practically painless.
I did not make any posts sooner, as there was barely any change. Days 3/4 were the worst for me. The swelling was freakish in appearance. By days 6/7, I felt comfortable enough to leave the house finally. My bruise improved, but not drastically. I have a feeling it will take quite some time to go away. Hence, lots of makeup is necessary to cover that sucker up. If you bruise easily, I would suggest in investing in some basic theatrical makeup, as you may need to use orange/green concealer in order to counteract the coloring of the bruise. Regular concealer will do, but it isn't perfect.
I still have quite a bit of swelling, but more so towards the tip of the chin. My incision was also oozing quite a bit this past week. My doctor told me not to mess with it. The change will be seen more so on weekly basis from this point on, rather than seeing daily changes.
Also, the right side of my lip and chin is still completely numb, hoping this will improve with time.
I will post another update at week 2.
Happy to answer any questions!

Today I actually felt pretty. I put makeup on and while looking in the mirror I realized that things are slowly coming together. My bruise is still hard to cover but luckily it is underneath my chin.
I prefer my side view much better at this point. From the front it looks a bit bulbous still. Overall, I am happy with the progress.

Recovery has been going really well. My bruise is 95% gone, and there is only minor discoloration. I did leave the house without makeup the other day. There is still a lump around the incision, which is to be expected and should go away in a while. I know that I am still swollen, however, it isn't noticeable to me. I resumed my normal routines and feel quite confident interacting with people despite the continuous numbness on the right side. I feel like this will take the longest to go away. I do feel like sensation is starting to return to the lip, but not so much right side of the chin. My speech is almost back to normal but not my smile. i am extremely happy with the results and glad I chose the bigger size implant, as small would not make much of a difference. I will try to post another update at 6 weeks.

I had a chin implant 17 days ago and couldn't be happier with how I look. Dr.Portuese made me feel confident with the procedure and addressed all my questions. I am happy he recommended a medium chin implant vs a small one, it made all the difference. The procedure was very quick as well. The recovery takes time, so please do your research and most importantly, do not freak out during the first week! I recommend him for chin augmentations.

Janet was also super helpful and sweet throughout the entire process.

The scar has been healing quite well, and almost flat at this point. Sensation to my lip and chin has returned. I continue to be careful with my chin and avoid contact sports or pushing on it too hard. Most of the time I forget that anything was done at all, it is amazing how fast your body heals. First month is the hardest, everything else is smooth sailing. The chin feels like my own. I would absolutely do this again.