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The general concept of the ‘female chin implant’ is one that provides a more feminine lower third facial appearance. This typically means providing horizontal augmentation in the recessive appearing chin but no additional width when seen from the frontal view. In some females that may even desire a more narrow or tapered chin in the front view.

Most standard chin implant styles do not fulfill these female shape requirements They all can provide the desired horizontal projection but fail in being too wide  with excessive posterior limb lengths. Once you cross the horizontal width of the mental foramens any additional chin width for most females will be too wide.

Short of making a custom chin implant how does one make standard chin implant achieve this more feminine shape? Using either an extended anatomic chin implant or a chin-prejowl implant style (which I prefer) its shape can be modified with a large scalpel blade. The combination of removing the lateral limbs or wings and tapering the frontal shape of the implant into more of a v-shape creates the needed shape changes.

It is important to also understand that with a smaller base to horizontal projection ratio it may be more unstable on the chin point. This issue can be cmpletely circumvented by using double microscrew fixation.

Between making the subperiosteal implant pocket, implant insertion and screw stabilization, this can all be done through a 1 cm or less submental skin incision.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

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