Chin Augmentation & Implant

Serving as the fulcrum of the lower third of the face, the chin is very important in establishing a harmonious and balanced look to the entire face. Correcting a weak or receding chin often provides dramatic improvement to the patient’s overall beauty and appearance.

A retruded chin can be corrected in one of three ways:

Filler injection

Fillers are injected to elongate and increase the projection of the chin. To achieve optimal results, 1-2mL of fillers is used. The results tend to last for about 1 year. Filler injections are often accompanied by botulinum toxin shots to relax the mentalis muscle, which accounts for the overly-dimpled appearance of the chin.

As this is a minimally invasive procedure, downtime is minimal.

Chin Implant

This is the most common chin augmentation method performed by Dr Leo. This procedure is a very straightforward one and takes around 30-45 minutes to complete. A special numbing cream is first applied in the gums, then local anesthesia is injected inside the mouth. At our clinic, we only perform the “scarless” method, in which the incision is created inside the mouth to prevent external scarring.

A silicone implant customized to the patient’s features is inserted underneath the mentalis muscle and secured to the lining of the bone to keep it from moving out of place over time. Chin implants are usually permanent and do not need to be replaced.

Patients are encouraged to eat soft food for about 2 weeks post-surgery. A special antibiotic mouthwash will also be prescribed to keep the wounds clean. No suture removal is needed as only absorbable sutures are used. Downtime of the procedure is typically 2-4 days.

Sliding Genioplasty

A more invasive procedure that is typically done to address severe chin under-projection or deformities, sliding genioplasty involves using a saw to make a horizontal cut across the bone of the chin. This incision is often done within the mouth to prevent external scarring. The resulting fragment is then “slided” or repositioned anteriorly to increase the projection of the chin. This bony fragment is secured using titanium plates and screws.

This procedure is typically performed under sedation for maximal patient comfort. The main risk of the procedure is injury to the sensory nerve around the lip. However, with detailed appreciation of the anatomy, this risk is very low. Other standard risks of surgery including bleeding and infection applies.

The aftercare is similar to that of chin implant augmentation. Downtime is usually around 1 week.

Plastic Surgeon Dr Leo Kah Woon served as the Secretary for both the Singapore Association of Plastic Surgeons and the Singapore Society of Cosmetic (Aesthetic) Surgeons in the year 2014-2015. For more information on Chin Augmentation surgery in Singapore, contact us at +65 6733 3895.