Small Chin - Causes and Signs of a Small Chin

The main causes of a small chin include:

• hereditary factor;
• congenital defect;
• post-traumatic deformation;
• thinning and atrophy of soft tissues (in the elderly);
• bone loss (in the elderly);
• formation of the anterior maxillary groove (in the elderly);
• as a consequence of an injury;
• as a consequence of surgery.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of a small chin include:

• disproportionate face;
• violation of the oval of the face;
• disharmonious face;
• undefined facial features;
• small chin size;
• slanted chin;
• poorly and unclearly outlined cheekbones;
• absence of chin line;
• chin line is unclearly outlined, not smooth and sharp;
• weak chin.

Diagnostics

A small chin can also be diagnosed visually. A small chin is determined by the appropriate measurements: the height of the ideal chin is equal to half the height of the lower third of the face. The chin line is clearly, smoothly outlined. Another way to diagnose a small chin: you need to look at the person's tilted head from the side and draw two lines - a horizontal one that passes through the ear canal and the lower edge of the eye socket, and a vertical one that passes through the deepest point at the root of the nose. If the chin does not protrude beyond the vertical line, the chin is underdeveloped (microgenia). To diagnose a small chin, specialists also evaluate the client's bite.

Treatment

Thanks to the treatment of such a defect, it becomes possible to increase the configuration of the lower jaw, make the face look younger, improve the aesthetics and attractiveness of the face, make it more proportional and symmetrical. For this purpose, a plastic surgeon performs chin plastic surgery (mentoplasty). It can be performed on both men and women.

Chin enlargement is often recommended during a circular facelift or neck lift.

A small chin can be enlarged using the bone grafting technique – enlargement and augmentation of the lower jaw bone or exposure of the chin section by installing tiny plates.

This method is much safer than the technique of installing silicone implants in soft tissues, since the possibility of implant migration is reduced. A tiny four-centimeter incision in the oral cavity (in the fold between the mucous membrane of the lower teeth and the lower lip) is not visible and heals quickly.

A small chin can also be enlarged using endoprosthetics (using implants). The plastic surgeon selects the best implant for the shape and size with the patient.

Cheekbone and chin endoprosthetics is performed using safe facial implants. The implant is inserted by the plastic surgeon through three- to four-centimeter-long incisions in the fold of the oral mucosa or in the skin fold under the lower jaw. Through this incision, the specialist peels off the periosteum in the chin area and along the edge of the lower jaw according to the size of the implant. The implant is inserted with its lateral parts into the subperiosteal tunnels and fits well to the bone. There is no displacement. After the chin endoprosthetics is completed, the client is given an elastic bandage.

Another way to increase the size of a small chin is a non-surgical procedure called lipofilling (correcting the size of the chin using the client's own fat cells).

Chin plastic surgery is performed under general anesthesia. The operation to increase the size of a small chin can also be combined with rhinoplasty, forehead and facelift.

Prevention of a small chin

As such, there is no prevention of a small chin. You should carefully monitor your facial skin and follow the rules of personal hygiene.