Background: A strong and well defined jawline used to be an exclusively male trait. And the pursuit of a stronger jawline through implant surgery used to be only pursued by the young male patient. But that has changed in recent times as now women often desire a stronger jawline as well.
When patients, men or women, seek a stronger jawline they are usually referring the back part of the jaw known as the jaw angles. The chin at the front of the jaw may also be part of the desired jawline effect. But stronger jawlines almost always refer to a stronger and more defined jaw angle region even if the chin is adequate.
But a stronger jawline has slightly different connotations for men vs. women. Men often want a square and wider jawline such as that seen in Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise. Women, on the other hand, often long for the jaw-dropping effect that vertically lengthens the jaw angle as it defines it such as Tyra Banks or Angelina Jolie. Understanding this difference in jaw angle shapes between men and women is critical in selecting the right jaw angle implant.
Case Study: This 32 year-old female desired stronger and more defined jaw angles. She had a thin face with little facial fat. She had a good chin but high and narrow jaw angles.
Under general anesthesia she underwent the intraoral placement of vertical lengthening jaw angle implants. This style of jaw angle implant drops the level of the jaw angle downward while only adding enough width for the implant to adequately engage the mandibular ramus bone This style of jaw angle implant is unique because half of the implant is not on the bone. This design is necessary to create the vertical lengthening effect.
Her result at three months after surgery showed much more defined angle that was both lower and wider. This helped ‘square off ‘ her face to some degree and created increased facial angularity.
Jaw angle implants historically were one style that only widened the jaw angle and often did not create much jaw angle definition. But with increased patient demand for jawline augmentation, newer jaw angle implant styles are needed. Vertical lengthening of the jaw angles is often needed much more than width for many patients. This is particularly true in females where the strength of the jawline comes from greater angle definition than increased jaw angle width.
Highlights:
1) Women today often seek a stronger jawline with more defined jaw angles.
2) Most women need vertical lengthening jaw angle implants as opposed to a jaw angle widening style jaw angle implant.
3) Female jaw angle implants aim mainly to create a well-defined jaw angle.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana