Masculinizing Chin Augmentation & Reshaping – FTM Facial Gender Confirmation Surgery
The Male Chin Is Typically More Square Than the Female Chin
The overall appearance of the chin and it’s shape is an important aspect of facial gender confirmation. In general, male chins are fuller and squarer, while female chins typically appear more tapered. Male chins tend to be more angular, wider, and longer with a flat base, while women’s chins tend to be smoother, more rounded, and softer in appearance.
How Does Chin Augmentation Work Within the Context of Ftm Facial Masculinization?
Masculinizing chin augmentation for female-to-male (FTM) gender confirmation involves altering the size, projection, and profile of the chin to add width and length as needed – to create a squarer, more masculine-looking profile. The procedure is typically performed within the set of procedures that make up facial gender confirmation surgery and is often combined with other lower-face procedures such as chin contouring, jaw reshaping, and possibly even jaw augmentation. During the procedure, any pre-existing congenital asymmetries may also be eliminated to increase the overall symmetry of the face resulting in an aesthetically pleasing masculine appearance to the chin.
How Is Masculinizing Chin Surgery Performed?
First, Dr. Deschamps-Braly accesses the structure of your chin through an internal incision. From there, a sliding osteotomy is performed and precise, geometric wedges of the patient’s own bone are positioned–both vertically and horizontally–to reshape the width and projection of the chin’s profile. Biologically-compatible titanium screws are used to secure the bones in their new positions and sutures that will dissolve are placed inside the lower lip. Because incisions are made inside the mouth, no external or visible scarring occurs post-surgery. Dr. Deschamps-Braly may also use pre-surgery 3D imaging to ensure there is no interference with the roots of your lower teeth or “mental nerve”.
Are Chin Implants Used to Masculinize the Face?
Although chin implants are sometimes an option for chin surgery, we believe it is counterintuitive and potentially problematic to place a foreign object (an implant) into your body. Synthetic chin implants may be ‘rejected’ by the body causing complications such as infections, shifting of the implant, and damage to the roots of the teeth or nerves that give your lips sensation. In most cases, we believe it is a far better option to augment and reshape the underlying skeleton or foundation of the chin with the individual’s own bone material.
