What Can be Done To Improve The Tightness And Lower Lip Mobility After Chin Implant Removal?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a chin implant placed in the fall of 2019. It was placed crookedly, and in my opinion too high. Although I voiced these concern’s to my surgeon, he would ultimately tell me each time that the implant was placed perfectly and I looked great. Even if this was the case, and I did look great, I didn’t feel great, and the chin implant was mightily uncomfortable. My lower lip didn’t have the depression most lips do when you smile, talk, or make general facial expressions. Each time I brought up these concerns, he would say it “takes time”. I am aware of the time it takes for the body to heal, but also aware that it should be at least close to normal after a year, but, it was not. The lip was stiff and seemingly stifled in the middle and the sides. I gave up and gave in, tried to live with it for awhile, but four years is all I could take until I needed to seek help. Finally, I went to another surgeon and got the implant removed in the spring of 2021. When I showed him the implant he was appalled at the placement, and said it was heavily mal-positioned. I hoped that removal would help my lip mobility and tightness, and I wouldn’t say post removal has been net zero, I don’t think it’s even fifty percent better. My question is if anything could be done to improve, my feeling and lip mobility? The feeling is like a chin strap, and shape of the implant still lingers. In a perfect world I would go back to my original chin, but the world is not perfect. Oh well. What is your opinion?

A: While you did not say what route the chin implant was placed (submental vs intraoral) this sounds like a classic post intraoral chin implant placement issues. Usually tightness does not occur from a submental approach. Thus this is scar contracture which really means a soft tissue deficiency. In this situations I usually do an intraoral release and fat graft to relieve the tightness.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World Renowned Plastic Surgeon