If you have a small chin, you may be looking for ways to make it more prominent. Here, Dr. Paul Pin and our team discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the two procedures to enhance your chin.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers add volume to areas of the skin that have been affected by collagen loss and other effects of aging.
Collagen is formed into fibers and gives your face a firm, full appearance. However, these fibers can break down for several reasons, including the natural aging process or as a result of dramatic weight loss. The end result is sagging skin around various parts of your face, including your jaw line and chin.
Dermal fillers are made of materials meant to simulate this collagen. Dr. Pin will inject the dermal filler into various areas around your chin and jaw line where you want more definition.
Advantages
The main advantage of using dermal fillers to augment the chin is that it is a non-surgical procedure. It can be done right in Dr. Pin’s office, usually in 30 minutes or less, depending on the amount of work needed to be done.
It also only requires a local anesthetic, right at the injection sites.
Another advantage is that there is no recovery time needed. You can go directly back to your regular activities, such as driving, or going to work or school.
Disadvantages
The biggest disadvantage to dermal fillers to enhance a small chin is that the procedure is not permanent. Your body will reabsorb the filler material in four to 12 months, at which time your chin will revert back to its size previous to the procedure.
Although you can undergo another dermal filler procedure at that time, it may not be an optimal solution if you want permanent chin enhancement.
Surgical Chin Enhancement
For a surgical chin enhancement, Dr. Pin will use an implant to augment your chin’s size and shape. These chin implants come in a variety of materials, as well as different widths and lengths, so that Dr. Pin can select one that is the right size for you.
For the procedure, Dr. Pin will make an incision either just under your chin or inside your mouth, below your lower gum line. He will then insert the implant to fit above your chin bone.
Advantages
The main advantage to surgical enhancement is that it is a permanent solution to a small, undefined chin. Furthermore, a chin implant is also an excellent solution in cases where you may need more than just a minimal amount of enhancement.
Finally, given the variety of material, shapes and sizes, it is easy to find an implant that is best suited to the specific features of your face, so that it looks natural.
Disadvantages
Obviously, the biggest disadvantage to a chin implant is that it requires a surgical procedure, as compared to dermal fillers. Any surgery will mean a longer recovery time, greater risk of adverse side effects and risks (such as infection or scarring), and a higher cost, as compared to a non-surgical procedure.
Another disadvantage to consider is that it will take a few weeks before you will start to see the results from your chin enhancement surgery, compared to only a day or two with dermal fillers.
It is important to understand the pros and cons of surgical versus non-surgical methods to enhance your chin, so that you will know which will provide you with the results you want. Dr. Pin can help you determine which procedure can provide you with the well-defined chin you have always wanted.