Correcting a small, weak and receding chin is one of the most dramatic and highly appreciated procedures.
A nicely shaped chin and cheekbones are vital as they create the three important light-reflecting points that frame and define the face. I call this the Triangle of Beauty.
A face with cheekbones and no chin looks top heavy and bird-like. It also makes the neck look shorter. In some cases, the lower lip just blends into the neck with no discernible definition.
The lack of a good chin also prematurely ages the lower face with the formation of jowls and marionette lines (the deep lines that run down from the corners of the mouth).
The first is via a chin implant. In this procedure, a slit is made either on the underside of the chin or on the inside of the lower lip. The soft tissue is lifted off the bone, creating a space between the bone and muscles. An implant made of silicone is then inserted into this space and held in place with some stitches. The silicone is similar to what is used for nasal augmentation and can remain in position for decades, if not life.
There are a wide variety of implants of different shapes and sizes, and your surgeon will use his artistic judgement to select the most appropriate one for you.
Chin Implant
*30-minute surgery under local anaesthetic. Bruising and swelling for 1-2 weeks. Implant may shift, tilt, become infected or erode bone if improperly placed. Easy to reverse
Sliding Genioplasty
*45-minute surgery under general anaesthetic. Bruising and swelling for 1-2 weeks. Sometimes can feel a “notch” at the junction of the bony cut. Less variety of shape. Difficult to reverse
Injections
*Depending on volume and type of filler used. Easy to perform, no anesthetic required. Not suitable where large volume are required
I have always said that cheekbones are the corner stone of the face, giving it vitality and youthfulness just like in Fann’s case.
There are several ways of enhancing cheekbones. The most convenient way of enhancing cheekbones is to place a solid silicone implant directly onto the deficient cheekbone via a small incision in the upper gum or via the lower eyelid. Scars are virtually undetectable and these implants come in a variety of shapes and sizes, or they can be custom carved by the surgeon. It is a relatively quick procedure taking about 40 minutes but there is a fair degree of swelling and recovery and sometimes the cheek muscles are temporarily weakened due to stretching of the nerves (forget about grinning), and of course, infection of the implant is a possibility. The result is permanent and if you do not like the shape for whatever reason, it will mean another operation to correct it.
The other method is to cut some of your own bone from your skull or rib, shape it accordingly and then fix this directly to the cheekbone area. It is much more difficult surgery but the result is long lasting and some patients are more comfortable with the idea of using their own bone rather than a foreign material.
Another technique for achieving more prominent cheeks is to use your own fat or liposculpture. Fat is harvested either from your tummy or thighs, processed in a special machine and then re-injected into the cheekbone area. If done well, it looks as if the bone itself has been enhanced when in actual fact, it was only the soft tissue. I like this technique but it can be a little unpredictable as the fat may dissolve with time or it could grow larger if the patient puts on weight.
The last technique is a non-surgical one in which a synthetic filler material is injected into the cheekbone area, again creating the illusion that the bone has been enhanced. There are two categories of fillers: resorbable and semi-permanent. Both types of fillers give the same result but in the case of the resorbable fillers, they will disappear after six to eight months and you will need to keep topping it up to maintain the result. This is an excellent choice with a degree of reversibility if you want to see how you look with fuller cheekbones but are not sure if it will suit you.
Semi-permanent fillers are a combination of resorbable filler material with long lasting micro particles. They last much longer and after several injections, the result can last for years. With any foreign material, there is a small potential for infection or an inflammation. I like this technique as it is very good for achieving exactly the size and shape the patient desires. Being non-surgical, there is no recovery time and patients walk straight out of the office and back to work.
Think of plastic surgery in Asia and one name immediately springs to mind – Dr Woffles Wu!
This innovative and exciting plastic surgeon from Singapore has for years been the name on the lips of men and women seeking aesthetic perfection. Armed with an impeccable eye for beauty, balance and harmony Dr Wu, dubbed Asia’s Beauty Guru by the Hongkong press has reinvented and promoted the concept of Non Surgical Facial Rejuvenation (NSFR). He is today one of the most sought after speakers around the world on this topic demonstrating his combination of Injectables, Fillers, IPL Photorejuvenation and his invention, the WOFFLES LIFT to achieve facial rejuvenation without downtime.
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