Chin Implant or Genioplasty? Choosing the Right Chin Surgery

A weak, long or uneven chin changes the balance of the whole face, including how the nose and lips look in profile. Two surgical routes are commonly offered: a chin implant and genioplasty. They solve overlapping but different problems.

Chin implant

A chin implant is placed over the existing chin bone to add projection, and sometimes width or length. It is a shorter operation and suits patients whose chin is well positioned but simply lacks forward projection.

Genioplasty

Genioplasty, or sliding genioplasty, cuts and repositions the chin bone itself. Because the bone can be moved forward, backward, up, down or sideways, it can correct a long chin, a short chin or an off-centre chin as well as a receding one. It uses the patient's own bone, so there is no implant to consider in the long term.

How to tell which you need

• Only projection is lacking: an implant or genioplasty may both work.
• The chin is too long or too short: genioplasty is usually needed, because an implant cannot shorten a chin.
• The chin is off-centre: genioplasty can move it to the midline.
• The jaw is wide as well: chin work is often combined with jaw reduction.

Planning and recovery

Imaging such as a CT scan helps plan bone surgery. Both operations are usually performed through an incision inside the mouth, so there is no visible scar. Expect swelling of the lower face and a soft diet for a period afterwards; genioplasty generally involves a longer stay than an implant.

Questions to ask

• Does my chin need to move, or only gain projection?
• How will the change affect my profile with my nose and lips?
• What happens if I want to adjust the result later?