Chin surgery, also known as genioplasty, is a surgical
procedure to reshape the chin either by enhancement
with an implant or reduction surgery on the bone. Many
times a plastic surgeon may recommend chin surgery to
a patient having nose surgery in order to achieve facial
proportion, as the size of the chin may magnify or minimize
the perceived size of the nose. Chin surgery helps provide
a harmonious balance to your facial features so that
you feel better about the way you look. Facial proportions
have a significant bearing on the aesthetics. A small
chin can make the person feel that they have a large
nose, because the profile in unbalanced. Similarly a
chin of excessive size can look pointy and unsightly.
One of the main considerations in re-balancing the chin
shape is to understand whether the dental occlusion
(the way the teeth meet) is in harmony. If the occlusion
is also

problematic, most of the times it is necessary to take
the route of orthognathic surgery which requires careful
orthodontic preparation and evaluation that often spans
over one to two years. Most of the times though, the
occlusion is good or satisfactory, and the disproportion
related to the chin can be dealt with individually,
or as is often the case in combination with a nose reshaping.
The chin can be increased in size either by re-positioning
the lowermost part of the mandible (jaw-bone) which
is known as sliding genioplasty. The other option is
to use an implant which can be either silicone or a
semi-rigid material. Reduction in the size of the chin
can be done either through re-shaping the bone with
a burr or via a sliding genioplasty where the bone is
pushed back and fixed in position.
The operation is normally carried out under a general
anesthetic, but as a day-case. Expect the bruising and swelling to settle for the most in 7 to 10 days.