Chin Implant Reshaping(or chin augmentation / chin plastic surgery / chin job / chin cosmetic surgery / chin enhancement surgery) are usually done through two approaches. You can make an incision under your chin or in your mouth to place the implant. The most common way to do it is through an incision under the chin. This usually leaves a barely visible scar. The incision is around 2-3 cm in length and the implant is place on your own chin bone and is fixed so it doesn’t move. Over time the chin implant will feel like your own bone and like its your natural jaw. You can also place it through your mouth but this usually has more associated issues with this approach. First you have to put it past all of the bacteria that usually resides within your mouth and this can lead to increased risk of infection. Also through this approach you usually alter the way the chin muscle sits and this can cause some chin drooping because the muscle is not adequately attached to bone through this approach. Also with through the mouth, the nerves that brings sensation to your chin and lower lips can be more affected and lead to more chances of numbness.
The usual implant that is placed is silicone which is really compatible to your tissues. Carbon is right above Silicone (Si) on the atomic chart. Because they are very similar the body thinks of it like carbon and finds it less intrusive and doesn’t mount a large immune response to it. Hence silicone implants are highly adaptable to the human body and there is very little risk of cancer, rejection, infection and other problems that you might get with goretex, med por, and other implants. Silicone implants that are solid have been placed in thousands of people with no problems over many years and decades!
Thanks for reading, Dr Young
Dr Young specializes in Facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery and is located in Bellevue near Seattle, Washington