THE 3 SHAPES OF THE CHIN
The chin shapes the lower part of the face and plays an important role in the physical appearance, especially when viewed from the side. Most of the time, the shape of the chin does not affect physical abilities. However, the shape of the chin can have an impact on chewing (bone and dental misalignment), on open lip (the person must force for the lips to touch) and on sleep apnea (receding chin with bone malformation of the mandible and compression of the airways). Patients then call on a cosmetic surgeon specialized in maxillofacial surgery to perform a genioplasty . There are 3 main chin shapes :
“Normal” or “classic” chin
The classic chin has a vertical alignment perpendicular to the face. A straight vertical line can be drawn between the nostrils and the tip of the chin. It benefits from a small hollow without too pronounced crease between the lip and the tip of the chin. Its shape is regular and slopes gently below the chin, which is horizontal until it meets the neck.
Receding chin – retrognathia – receding chin
A receding chin is characterized by its backward position. It may appear non-existent if it is truly set back. The lower part of the face is not very marked, this is called retrognathia . A receding chin can cause purely aesthetic discomfort but can also promote dental occlusion problems and sleep apnea if the backward appearance of the chin is due to a bone malformation of the entire jaw. For a purely aesthetic correction, the cosmetic or maxillofacial surgeon may suggest the placement of a chin implant (made of silicone) or grafting bone taken from elsewhere in the body. The surgeon can also cut off the tip of the chin and then replace it by fixing it with osteosynthesis equipment (plates and screws).
Protruding chin – prognathism – protruding chin
A protruding chin is characterized by a chin that appears to protrude forward and form a growth on the lower part of the face. This is called a prognathic or protruding chin. A protruding chin generally does not cause any physical problems except when the skin is stretched too far and will hold the lower lip too low and cause a gaping lip or force the person to strain the chin muscles to keep their mouth closed.
The cosmetic, oral, or maxillofacial surgeon will plane the bone, or cut the bone, remove a portion, and replace the bone using plates and screws.
The operation is generally performed through the mouth and leaves no visible scars. These three chin shapes are the most common, but there are a multitude of vertical, horizontal, and joint dysmetries.
Some stars have had chin surgery. Jennifer Aniston from FRIENDS , for example, had a mentoplasty (also called genioplasty).
