In This Digital Age, Achieving Facial Balance Is More Important Than Ever

The face has always been one of the main areas patients look to when considering cosmetic surgery. Given the increasing popularity of social media, photo sharing, and video capture, the face has become even more noteworthy. Consequently, it is not surprising that chin implant surgery is one of the fastest-growing procedures offered today.

As I explain to my patients, mentoplasty changes the appearance of the chin and provides a more balanced overall facial appearance. This chin surgery often involves inserting a surgical implant to add definition to the patient’s profile. That being said, mentoplasty can also be used to reduce the size of a prominent chin and help it blend with the rest of the face.

In either case, chin implant surgery is all about creating proper proportions on a patient’s face. For many of my patients, the procedure’s results have dramatically boosted their confidence, as the chin is one of their most prominent facial features.

But in some cases, changing one feature can create a lack of balance in the face. To avoid this, I always make sure to speak with my patients about what they are specifically looking to change and what their desired results from the procedure are during the consultation appointment. Occasionally, I have found that performing more than one cosmetic procedure can better achieve a patient’s physical goals and help him or her reap the maximum results from the surgery.

In my experience, rhinoplasty, cheek augmentation, and eye surgery are all examples of procedures that compliment the results of chin treatments. In addition, I have found that a common concern many patients have prior to a chin augmentation is how the procedure will feel once it is completed.

For instance, many patients have posed questions to me about whether their new chin will feel natural and hold its place to the touch. However, I always reassure my patients that their implant will look and feel natural, as a chin augmentation is achieved through the use of a solid silicone implant that is typically customized to fit the shape and structure of the chin. This allows for the best possible placement of the implant and prevents shifting once it is positioned.

With videos and photographs being shared everywhere these days, our patients’ faces are on display now more than ever before. As a result, reshaping their chin to create a better facial balance may be the key to helping them look and feel their very best.

Robert T. Grant, MD, MSc, FACS, is Chief of the combined Divisions of Plastic Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center. He is also Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery in the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University and Adjunct Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. For more information about Dr. Grant or to contact him, visit his website at www.robertgrantmd.com.