How Can My Severe Jaw Asymmetry Be Treated?

Q: Dr. Eppley, i have severe Craniofacial Facial Asymmetry. i have yet to find a dr to fix my face and then i stumbled on your website. my face is more closer to the shorter side (i can tell due to genetics, my mothers face shape and 3 of my female cousins) please help. i tried adding a lot of photos because some angles it isn’t as noticeable but some they are. the longer side would need to be shaved down and possibly an implant to create “volume” like the other. i just never feel confident with myself.

A:With an asymmetry analysis it can be seen that, while you have an overall left facial side hypoplasia  (vertically shorter, smaller) the major asymmetry is in the lower jaw. It is a classic jaw asymmetry with one side being longer and less wide (right side) and the left side being vertically shorter and wider. (see attached) With that of course comes the chin asymmetry with the right side being longer.

There are multiple treatment approaches which comes down to 1) reduce the right side of the chin and jawline as far back as possible (fundamentally improve the chin asymmetry) or 2) reduce the right side and augment the left side for an overall jaw asymmetry approach. It just comes down to how much effort you want to put into the correction…with the understanding that ideal/perfect jaw asymmetry will never be obtained.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon