Chin augmentation

What is chin augmentation?

Chin augmentation is surgery to make the chin more projecting or better shaped, usually to balance the profile when the chin looks small or set back. There are two main ways to do it.

The first uses a solid implant, often made of silicone or a similar material, placed into a pocket over the chin bone through a cut inside the mouth or under the chin. The second, called a sliding genioplasty, cuts the lower part of the chin bone and moves it forward (or in another direction), holding it with small plates and screws — no implant is used.

It changes the projection and shape of the chin and can improve how the chin balances with the nose and jaw. It does not change the teeth or bite (that needs jaw surgery), and it will not reshape the whole jawline on its own.

This is cosmetic surgery in most cases. The choice between an implant and moving the bone has real trade-offs in risk and recovery, so it is worth understanding both before deciding.

Types & techniques

There isn't one single operation. The right approach depends on you — which is something to discuss with your surgeon.

Chin implant versus sliding genioplasty

Neither is simply 'better' — the right choice depends on your chin and goals, and your surgeon should explain why they recommend one for you.

Preparing for your surgery

• See the surgeon who will operate; they should examine your chin, jaw, bite and profile and discuss whether an implant or moving the bone suits you.
• Ask whether your concern is really the chin or the jaw position and bite, which may need different surgery.
• Tell them about all medicines, supplements and any bleeding tendency, as some increase bleeding.
• Stop smoking and vaping well beforehand, as nicotine slows healing and raises wound and implant problems.
• Plan around one to two weeks off, and softer foods if the cut is inside the mouth.
• Arrange a lift home and help for the first day or two after a general anaesthetic.
• Use the cooling-off time to be sure, and ask to see the surgeon's own results.

What happens

Chin augmentation is usually done under general anaesthetic, though an implant can sometimes be placed under local anaesthetic with sedation. An implant placement may take around half an hour to an hour; a sliding genioplasty takes longer.

For an implant, the surgeon makes a cut inside the lower lip or under the chin, creates a pocket over the chin bone and positions the implant, sometimes fixing it in place, then closes the cut. For a sliding genioplasty, the surgeon cuts the lower part of the chin bone, moves it into its new position and secures it with small plates and screws before closing.

Most people go home the same day. You may have tape or a support dressing on the chin, and if the cut is inside the mouth you will be advised on mouth care and soft foods. The team will explain wound care and follow-up.

Is this operation right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Anaesthetic choices

The safest option depends on the operation, your health, the facility and your surgeon/anaesthetist. Ask what is planned and why.

The most important specific risks differ by technique. With an implant, the issues are infection (which can mean the implant must be removed), the implant shifting, and slow thinning of the bone beneath it. With a sliding genioplasty, the issues are numbness of the lower lip and chin and problems with the plates or screws. Numbness is common early on with both and usually recovers, but can occasionally last. Ask your surgeon how often they see infection, implant removal, lasting numbness and revision in their own practice.

Published figures to discuss

Published complication rates for chin augmentation come mostly from implant case series and reviews, and vary with the implant type, the approach and follow-up length. They are useful as broad indicators rather than promises, and your own risk depends on your health and the surgeon. Sliding genioplasty has a different risk profile, with numbness and plate problems rather than implant-specific risks.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

Recovery — what to expect, and when

Recovery is mostly about settling swelling and getting used to altered chin and lip feeling. Most people are back to normal activities within one to two weeks, but numbness and the final shape take longer, especially after a sliding genioplasty.

• Numbness or tingling of the lower lip and chin that gradually recovers
• Tightness and a 'stiff' feeling when smiling or talking early on
• Swelling that makes the chin look bigger than the final result at first
• Bruising of the chin and neck that fades over a couple of weeks
• Mild difficulty eating, especially with a cut inside the mouth

Aftercare

• Keep your head raised, including when sleeping, in the early days to reduce swelling.
• If the cut is inside the mouth, follow mouth-care and soft-food advice and keep the area clean.
• Take painkillers and any prescribed antibiotics exactly as directed.
• Avoid contact sports and activities that could knock the chin until your surgeon agrees.
• Avoid strenuous exercise, bending and straining in the early weeks.
• Care for any external wound or tape as instructed and keep follow-up appointments.
• Report worsening pain, spreading redness, swelling or discharge, which can signal infection.
• Keep the clinic's contact details to hand in case of problems.

• About 1–2 weeks off work and social events booked
• Soft foods and drinks at home if the cut is inside the mouth
• Painkillers and any prescribed antibiotics or mouthwash ready
• Extra pillows to keep your head raised
• Someone to drive you home and help for a day or two
• Clinic's out-of-hours number saved
• Follow-up appointment noted

Scars and how they heal

If the cut is inside the lower lip there is no visible external scar, though the mouth carries slightly more bacteria so infection risk is a little higher. If the cut is under the chin, there is a small scar in a natural crease that usually fades well over months. Scars are pink and firm at first; sun protection helps. Ask your surgeon which approach they recommend and where any scar would sit.

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Spreading redness, heat, swelling or discharge around the chin (signs of infection)
• Increasing rather than improving pain after the first few days
• A fever or feeling generally unwell after surgery
• An implant that feels like it is moving, or a sudden change in chin shape
• A wound inside the mouth or under the chin that opens or will not stop bleeding
• Numbness that is getting worse rather than slowly improving
• Difficulty swallowing or breathing, or rapidly increasing swelling of the neck

Who to contact: your surgeon or clinic first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your surgeon gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A good result is a chin that projects in better balance with the nose and jaw and looks natural for your face. The chin is swollen and may look too big at first; the settled result appears over a few months as swelling resolves and feeling recovers.

Chin augmentation does not change your bite or teeth, and will not reshape the whole jawline on its own. If a set-back chin is caused by the jaw position, jaw surgery may be the better answer. A careful surgeon assesses this, explains why they recommend an implant or moving the bone, and is honest about what the operation can and cannot achieve.

Results are usually long-lasting once healed. After a sliding genioplasty the bone change is permanent. An implant can last many years but is a foreign material that can, over time, shift, become infected or be associated with slow thinning of the bone beneath it, and may occasionally need removal or replacement. How long the result lasts depends on the technique, your tissues and how your face ages.

Combining with other procedures

Chin augmentation is often planned alongside a nose reshaping (rhinoplasty), because balancing the chin and nose together can improve the whole profile. It may also be part of jaw (orthognathic) surgery when the bite is affected. Augmenting the chin will not correct a bite problem or reshape the jaw angles, so your surgeon should assess the whole face and you should never feel pushed into more than you came for.

Follow-up & long-term care

You will usually be seen within the first week or two to check the wounds and healing, with further review as the swelling and feeling settle. Report spreading redness, fever, a shifting implant, worsening numbness or any difficulty swallowing or breathing straight away.

• If you have an implant, mention it at future dental and medical appointments.
• Report any new pain, swelling or change in chin shape around an implant, even years later.
• Keep an eye on any external scar and protect it from strong sun while it settles.

Revision and secondary surgery reality

• An implant may need repositioning or removal for shifting, infection or dissatisfaction.
• A result that looks too big or too small can need adjustment, which is a further operation.
• Plates or screws after a sliding genioplasty occasionally need removal if they cause problems.
• The final shape takes months to settle, so revision should not be rushed.

Ask your surgeon for their own revision rate, what counts as a revision, and what is included in the written aftercare policy.

What good aftercare looks like

• A named contact and out-of-hours route for infection, a shifting implant or worsening pain.
• Clear written aftercare on mouth care, soft foods, activity limits and wound care.
• Planned reviews to check the wound early and then assess the settled result.
• Long-term advice to report any new pain, swelling or change around an implant, even years later.
• An honest plan for what happens, and who pays, if revision or implant removal is needed.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• The surgeon's experience and fee
• Whether an implant or a sliding genioplasty is done, and the operation's complexity
• The implant or the plates and screws used
• Anaesthetic type and the anaesthetist's fee
• Theatre and facility fees, and whether it is combined with nose or jaw surgery
• Follow-up appointments and the clinic's policy on managing complications or revision

• The named operating surgeon and their fee
• Whether an implant or sliding genioplasty is planned, and any implant or fixation costs
• Anaesthetist and theatre or facility fees
• All follow-up appointments and wound checks
• What happens, and what it costs, if an implant needs removing or you need revision
• The cancellation and cooling-off policy
• Who to contact, and what is covered, if a complication such as infection occurs

On the NHS? Chin augmentation is not usually available on the NHS for cosmetic reasons; it may rarely be funded as part of jaw (orthognathic) surgery when there is a recognised bite or jaw-position problem.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a surgeon safely

• Check your surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they practise at a CQC-registered location, and look for membership of bodies like BAAPS or BAPRAS.
• You're entitled to a two-stage consent process with time to reflect (a cooling-off period). The surgeon who will operate must consent you — not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers, discounts or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good surgeon will welcome every one of these.

• Is my concern the chin itself, or my jaw position and bite — and would jaw surgery suit me better?
• Do you recommend an implant or moving the bone for me, and why?
• How likely am I to have lasting numbness of my lower lip and chin?
• With an implant, how often do you see infection, shifting or the need to remove it?
• What would you do, and what would it cost, if I needed revision surgery?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the surgeon who carries out my operation, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this operation not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified surgeon for chin augmentation

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How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: Facial chin augmentation — StatPearls (NCBI) NHS — Cosmetic surgery (what to consider) GMC — Cosmetic interventions guidance BAAPS — Patient safety and advice Facial implants — StatPearls (NCBI)

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.