Your Questions

Q: I am interested in having a dimple put into my chin. I do modeling and I feel it would add more definition to my face. What do you think? Will it be easy to tell I have had it done? How long does it take to heal? Will I need bandages on it?
I have attached a few images of myself to show you what I look like. I have also added a picture of a gorgeous girl I know who has a dimple that I really like. Will it look anything like hers?

A: Creating some form of a concavity in the chin, whether it be a dimple or a cleft, is about providing some character and uniqueness to a facial feature. I don’t think it necessarily creates more definition to the face but it provides a highlight feature that many people find attractive. In creating this chin feature it is important to differentiate between a chin dimple and a chin cleft. They look different and are surgically created with different nuances of the same basic procedure. You have stated your interest in a chin dimple which is a rounded indentation in the middle portion of the soft tissue chin pad. The picture of the model whose chin you like, however, appears more like a chin cleft which is more a vertical indentation from the middle of the soft tissue chin pad down to the edge of the bone. Both can be created, it is just important to know exactly what you want.

Whether it is a chin dimple or a chin cleft, the operation is done from the inside of the mouth. It is a very simple procedure from the perspective of what it is like to go through and recover. It is usually done under local anesthesia or IV sedation. There are no external bandages after surgery. The sutures inside the mouth are dissolveable so their removal is not necessary. There are no restrictions after surgery in terms of eating or activities. There is some chin swelling but no bruising. The chin dimple or cleft can be seen immediately after and it may initially be a little more indented or clefted that it will be when the swelling goes down. It will take about two to three weeks until the chin feels completely normal again.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana