How Can My Chin Dimple Be Reduced?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have a mild chin cleft that I would like corrected. I have attached a picture so you can have a better understanding. It drives me nuts when I smile as it is so visible particularly in pictures. 

A: By your picture what you have is a chin dimple not a chin cleft. That may seem like a semantic difference but anatomically there are somewhat different entities and are treated a little differently. A chin dimple that presents itself when you animate (smile) represents a defect in the mentalis muscle that covers the chin. Lacking fat underneath it and a defect in the muscle, the skin is pulled inward acting like an adhesion to the underlying tissues. Conceptually, volume needs to be added under to dimple to push it outward. This can be done by a number of ways but the simplest method is to place some injectable fillers (e.g., Juvederm) underneath the chin dimple. While this simple office treatment will not be permanent it will last 6 to 9 months and will answer the question whether the ultimate placement of fat injections would be the best long-term treatment of your chin dimple correction.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana