Chin Implants More Popular than Ever

Don’t like your profile?  Chin implants have become more popular than ever.  Studies show they’re up seventy-one percent from last year making chin implants or chin augmentation the fastest growing trend in plastic surgery. Statistics show there were 20,680 chin augmentations performed in 2011, a seventy-one percent increase from the previous year.

By Carolynn Grimes
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com

An Implant May Not be the Best Option

According to board certified plastic surgeons from around the country, an implant may not always be the best choice for patients who want to fix a weak looking chin.  Dr. Pat Sullivan, a board certified plastic surgeon from Providence, Rhode Island says he’s consulted with many patients that want to take the implants out. Sullivan says a better option for some may be fat grafting. “I think it’s particularly good when you can add volume to the chin with a patient’s own tissue and not use anything synthetic. Synthetic implants can get infected, become displaced, or become asymmetric,” says Sullivan. Dr. Dan Del Vecchio from Boston, Massachusetts says more and more surgeons are opting to augment a slightly deficient chin with the patient’s fat.

If fat grafting isn’t quite enough to provide the chiseled jaw line you’re looking for, another option is to re-position your chin bone by moving it forward, otherwise known as a geneoplasty.  “A geneoplasty is a more difficult procedure,” says Dr. Lou Bucky from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, “because you’re using the patient’s own tissues and bone.” He says however, “The beauty of a geneoplasty is there’s no implant maintenance.” Bucky explains that sometimes chin implants will not last for life, but a well done geneoplasty should last a lifetime.

Profile Awareness in the Digital Age

Many plastic surgeons theorize the increase in chin augmentation most likely comes from people being more aware of their profile in our digital age of video chatting.  Del Vecchio says the increase in chin augmentation and plastic surgery in general could be an example of a better economy or the fact that men and women are looking at plastic surgery as a way to stay competitive in the workplace. Either way, if you’re considering chin augmentation, make sure you go to a board certified plastic surgeon that is skilled and experienced with the procedure.