Genioplasty: Male Chin Implants & Augmentation Houston
For many prospective cosmetic surgery patients, the chin is a facial feature that gets very little attention. However, did you know that your chin can have a surprisingly significant impact on your overall appearance?
Because balance and proportion are key tenets of our concept of aesthetic beauty, each of your facial features serves an important role. Any feature – including the chin – that disrupts that delicate balance affects the way that others perceive your face. Whether it is too small, too short, too big, too long, or even crooked, an imperfect chin can undermine your self-confidence.
Thankfully, cosmetic surgery offers a range of highly effective options for changing the appearance of your chin. For male patients chin implants (specifically, the genioplasty procedure), can be an excellent way to achieve results that are both natural-looking and impressively effective.
If you have ever felt dissatisfied with the shape or size or your chin, wished you could change the way it shapes your face, or wondered why your facial features simply feel “off-balance,” a genioplasty may be the answer you need. At the Houston cosmetic surgery office of Dr. Michael Streitmann, the genioplasty procedure is one of the many options patients can consider to refine and refresh their appearance.
What is Genioplasty?
Genioplasty is a surgical procedure performed on the chin, most commonly for cosmetic purposes rather than medical issues. It is a widely popular procedure for male patients, including those seeking to strengthen a “weak” chin or correct asymmetry or positioning.
Depending on your aesthetic goals, your cosmetic surgeon may use one of the following methods to conduct the genioplasty procedure:
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- Advancement, moving the chin’s position forward
- Pushback, moving the chin’s position backward
- Vertical adjustments, such as shortening or lengthening the chin
- Side-to-side changes to correct asymmetrical chins
When you meet with Dr. Streitmann for a consultation appointment, you will discuss your specific preferences and he can provide more information about potential methods that suit your needs.
Types of Genioplasty
There are multiple types of genioplasty, each one intended to serve individual needs and wants. Here are the differences of sliding genioplasty vs chin implants.
Chin Implants
For patients that would like to enlarge, reshape, or move their chin forward, chin implants can provide ideal results. Performed either by surgery or injection, both female and male chin implants are an increasingly common cosmetic procedure.
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- Surgical chin implants, or chin augmentation, utilizes a plastic material that is implanted and adhered to the existing chin bone. Implants made using synthetic materials, also referred to as alloplastic implants, are the most widely used. The surgeon establishes an entry incision either under your chin or inside your mouth, then places the custom-sculpted implant and attaches it using small surgical screws.
- Nonsurgical chin implants are accomplished using injectable fillers, such as body fat or dermal fillers, administered via a small needle. This non-invasive option can provide surprisingly effective results.
Sliding Genioplasty
A sliding genioplasty, also called an osseous genioplasty, is recommended for patients with chins that are positioned too far back (a condition known as severe retrogenia). Patients that would like to correct excessively long chins, or chins that are located too far forward, also often find success with this procedure.
Sliding Genioplasty Surgery
To begin sliding genioplasty surgery, Dr. Streitmann will gently pull down your lower lip to make an incision in the gum area below your bottom teeth. After separating the tissue from the chin bone, he uses a specialized saw to carefully cut the existing chin bone away from the jaw. Then, it is relocated or reshaped to address the patient’s specific concern.
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- To make the chin smaller or move it backward, a small wedge of bone is removed
- To extend the chin, the bone is reattached with a small gap between the jaw and chin bone, which will fill in with newly-grown bone over time
- To shorten the chin, a small wedge is removed and then the chin is reattached
Once the ideal position and structure has been determined, the surgeon will secure the bone with minuscule screws and titanium plates (the same materials used in dental surgery). Finally, the incision is closed with stitches.
Because the surgical entry point is the interior of the lower lip, scars are virtually undetectable after a patient has healed from a sliding genioplasty recovery. The plates and screws cannot be felt by the patient and are fully permanent.
Schedule Genioplasty Surgery Consultation in Houston Today
Changing the shape or position of your chin can transform your entire face, especially when you have the advantage of working with a skilled and experienced surgeon such as Dr. Michael Streitmann. If you are interested in learning more about how a genioplasty can help you achieve your goals and boost your confidence, we invite you to contact our office to schedule your consultation today.
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