Background: Creating a stronger male jawline can be done by a variety of methods, most of which are done by permanent implants. While many plastic surgeons still think that the approach to a better jawline comes from chin implant augmentation alone, that approach excludes any consideration of the back of the jaw which makes up two-thirds of its structure. A more contemporary treatment approach takes the whole jawline into consideration.
The traditional jawline augmentation approach uses three standard styles and sizes of facial implants. This include a chin and two jaw angle implants. The choices for chin implants are either a more commonly used anatomic or convex implant shape and a more square formed shape style. Jaw angle implants can be either a widening or vertical lengthening style. Historically only the widening jaw angle style was available but newer vertical lengthening styles offers a better option for those patients with high jaw angles.
The advantage of a standard three implant jawline augmentation are economy and time efficiency. Unlike a custom implant which requires a 3D CT scan and a month to design and manufacture, standard facial implants are available off the shelf and at a lower implant cost. The one aesthetic disadvantage is that the implants are not connected so there will be an indentation along the jawline between the chin and the jaw angles. For some patients this may not be an aesthetic detraction and may even be a desired effect.
Case Study: This 25 year-old male wanted a stronger jawline with a more square chin and wider jaw angles.
Under general anesthesia, a medium square chin implant was placed through a submental skin incision. Widening jaw angles of 7mms were placed through bilateral intraoral incisions.
His postoperative result showed a satisfied patient with a more defined jawline. The chin was more square and the jaw angles wider. The jaw angles even had a slightly more increased vertical length to them by a few millimeters.
As long as the patient can accept a non-connected jawline look through chin and jaw angle implant augmentation, the use of standard implants can be an effective total jawline augmentation approach.
Highlights:
1) Total jawline augmentation consists of increasing the dimensions of the its three main points, the chin and the two jaw angles.
2) A three implant approach to total jawline augmentation includes the use of a square chin implant and two jaw angle implants.
3) A three implant jawline procedure creates a three point augmentation with an intervening concavity of the body of the mandible.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana