Can I Get My Chin Lengthened 2 to 3cms?

Q: Dr. Eppley ,I was wondering if I can get more vertical length with my chin (about 2.5-3cm lower than my current chin) and to get the columella and tip of my nose marginally more parallel to the ground. I am not very good at photoshopping but I have just sent you 2 views. I like your oblique just that the chin has to be lower and the nose tip and columella marginally more parallel to the ground. Can you modify what you had sent me?

A:The key concept to understand about computer imaging is that it is not to show the patient the exact result that will happen as no one can predict that with 100% accuracy. The role of imaginng servesas  a visual method to determine the patient’s goals and  create an understanding of what can and can not be accomplished. Thus I can make the following comments to your response to my initial imaging.

In regards to vertical chin lengthening due to the restrictions of stretch of the soft tissue chin pad, one can get up to 7mms (0.7cm) of length with an implant and up to 15 -18mms (1.5 – 1.8cms)  length with an intraoral vertical lengthening bony genioplasty.  Thus getting 2 to 3cms of vertocal chin is never an achievable outcome. That is surgically not possible.

Again due to soft tissue restrictions (nasal trip skin) you can drive down the tip of the nose to a 90 degree nasolabial angle. There simply is not enough skin stretch to do so.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon