Chin Augmentation in the Spotlight: Is it Corrective?

Chin surgery has never been a hot or trendy topic in cosmetic surgery. But with the recent tabloid frenzy surrounding Bristol Palin’s new look, more people are discussing the procedure.

“I had corrective jaw surgery” Palin tells US Weekly. “It improved the way I look, but this surgery was necessary for medical reasons…so my jaw and teeth could properly realign,” she explains. She may be talking about Orthognathic jaw surgery, but the change in her chin is hard to miss.

Is chin augmentation a corrective surgery? Because it treats microgenia – i.e. smallness of the chin, it could be considered a “corrective” procedure. When the chin is small in relation to the nose or forehead, those features can appear noticeably large. By increasing chin length by a small degree, you can enhance overall facial balance.

During chin augmentation, an incision is made inside the mouth or below the chin A pocket is then created in front of the jaw bone where the implant will reside.

As an alternative, especially for more severe cases, the tip of the chin bone can be moved forward. In these cases, the surgeon carefully selects the portion of the bone to advance, cuts the chin bone with a sagittal saw, and secures its new position with fixation devices.