Facial Symmetry

Actors Henry Cavill and Zach Braff. Shutterstock.com.

Does a Weak Chin
Communicate Weakness?

Beauty, or in this case, strength is ultimately in the eye of the beholder, but there are many men who contend with feelings of self-consciousness because of their facial structure involving a recessed chin and weakened jawline. This can be accentuated by a softer jaw that is not well-defined but rather, blends softly and unattractively into the neck. Heavier-looking necks sometimes draw unwanted attention to a double chin.

There's nothing physically wrong with having a weak chin, but it can be a source of self-consciousness for many men who desire a competitive advantage in work, life, and romance.

There are specific facial plastic surgery procedures designed to augment and enhance weaker jawlines to create better facial balance while enhancing a man's confidence and self-assurance.

Here are the three options for a more masculine jawline:
-facial fillers designed to create a stronger jawline
-facial fat grafting for a sculpted jawline, or
-anatomic chin implants

#1: Chin Filler

Dermal fillers are designed to mimic the natural substance that surrounds, supports, and gives structure to cells and tissues in the body. The most popular fillers are composed of hyaluronic acid (HA), a water-based gel.

Injectable fillers come in various cohesiveness and are designed for unique purposes. More dense fillers are designed to be placed deeper in the skin tissue and are useful for adding structure to the facial skeleton. These hyaluronic acid fillers are more robust, making them ideal products for adding contour to the chin bone and jaw enhancement. When placed deeply around the bone these fillers create a better-defined jawline with minimal downtime as compared to other methods for profile enhancement.

Juvederm Chin Augmentation

Allergan, the makers of Juvederm dermal fillers have engineered two specific products that create natural augmentation: Juvederm Voluma® and Juvederm Volux®.

Juvederm Voluma® XC

Voluma XC is an FDA-approved filler designed to shape the chin and provide natural contour that fits a man's masculine facial aesthetic.

Juvederm Volux® XC

Juvederm's newest product, Volux® XC is FDA-approved for chin enhancement and jaw augmentation and lasts up to 24 months in most cases.

Restylane & Radiesse For Chin Projection

In the Restylane line, the Restylane Lyft is best suited for strengthening the profile. In addition, Radiesse uses a different calcium hydroxyapatite framework that also stimulates collagen production. For this reason, Radiesse is a popular choice among men for skeletal augmentation.

Learn more about Restylane here.
Learn more about Radiesse here.

Chin & jawline augmentation with profile balancing for man treated with Volux XC.

It's Going To Take Some Product

Regardless, skeletal augmentation with filler requires that an adequate amount of product be used for full correction. Typically, 2 and 4 syringes are necessary on average to achieve the desired shaping and correction. Depending on their unique goals, some men may take more.

#2: Using Fat For Male Chin Augmentation Patients

When a greater degree of correction is required, fat grafting has the benefit of adding more volume than even dermal injections. For fat grafting, fat is harvested via liposuction and purified to extract the best fat cells for transfer. Full correction is always possible with fat because there is an unlimited supply available.

Many men prefer using their own fat to sculpt a more prominent chin for the two-fold benefit of using their own "product" to enhance their appearance and because fat augmentation outlasts dermal injections by several years. In most cases, the fat augmentation lasts up to 5 years on average.

Because fat harvesting is more complex, many board-certified plastic surgeons prefer to do fat grafting in an operating room environment using some IV sedation for patient comfort.

#3: Implant Surgery

While fillers and fat can provide good results, an implant will yield a superior and permanent result.

Mentoplasty is the most popular option for men in my Dallas plastic surgery practice. Implants come in various sizes, making them customizable to suit a variety of men with varying bone structures. They are placed in a relatively simple procedure using an incision placed inside the mouth or just below the chin.

When jaw augmentation is also needed, chin implants are available with an extension that includes the jaw: extended implants. The implants are solid silicone implants that come in varying degrees of projection: small, medium, and large.

3D imaging is available to give men a sneak preview of the end result and aid with proper implant selection.

Other Procedures that Refine A Man's Face

"Peau de orange" chin and blended jaw & neck on Hans Zimmer. Shutterstock.com.

Botox for Chin Smoothing

Many men with weak chins also suffer from a skin deformity where the chin muscle, known as the mentalis, bunches up with attempts to close the lips. Plastic surgeons call this the “mentalis strain.” It results in an orange peel-like texture known as "peau de orange". Botox can be injected to relax the mentalis muscle giving a smoother chin with less chin wrinkling long-term.

Get Better Chin & Neck Definition with Liposuction

As stated above, the chin, jaw, and neck can unattractively blend with little separation. The desired 90-degree neck angle can become obtuse with the neck if heavy or fat. Neck liposuction can yield dramatic results by removing neck fat, eliminating a double chin, and creating a sharp lower face profile. I use VASER® ultrasound lipo for maximum fat removal to snatch the chin and neck.

Get A More Masculine Jawline

If you're a man considering a cosmetic procedure or injectable treatments, our team is here to help. If you're ready to schedule your complimentary plastic surgery consultation with Dr. Burns, get started here.

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