Background: A strong jawline and lower third of the face is typically and historically associated almost exclusively with men. But that facial shape concept has changed and is common today to see women (models, news women, TV celebrities etc) with strong jawlines. So it is not rare to see a female patient request a jaw augmentation procedure.
While the techniques for aesthetic jaw augmentation are not gender limited there are definitely differences in the desired flavor or magnitude of the desired changes between men and women. Men usually want a stronger looking lower jaw which means bigger in size and shape. For women it is not so much about size but definition, seeing a more visible jawline which may or may not have more of a V shape.
While these are typical gender preferences the lines between them can blur for some with men seeking definition and women seeking more size. It is all a matter of personal aesthetic preference.
Case Study: This female desired jaw augmentation with a little more chin projection and more visible jaw angles. She underwent a 6mm sliding genioplasty advancement and the placement of medium vertical lengthening jaw angle implants, all through an intraoral incisions.
She presented five years for adjustment of the left jaw angle implant for some rotational asymmetry. The change in her jaw shape was evident.
Her jaw augmentation effect was strong but that was in line with what her preferences were based on preoperative imaging of her pictures.
Three corner jaw augmentation, which is most commonly done using standard implants (or a sliding genioplasty for the chin), has a significant rate of the need for secondary revisions. It is hard to get standard jaw angle implants perfectly positioned due to the limited visibility of the intraoral approach and that most people do not have symmetric jaw angle bone shapes.
Key Points
1) One method of jaw augmentation is the use of a sliding genioplasty combined with standard jaw angle implants.
2) For a female the three corner jaw augmentation method usually requires modest amounts of change at each area.
3) The use of standard jaw angle implants has a significant need for revision due to asymmetry.
Dr. Barry Eppley
World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon