What Will Make My Face Look Thinner and More Balanced?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in a more structured feminized face. I am 40 years old and have wanted to balance my face my entire life. The fat never dissipated with age so I now find it agonizing. I also think chin augmentation would help but I am not sure about that.

A: In looking at your face, I believe your fat concerns go beyond the buccal fat pad area. Most people have a misconception about where the buccal fat pad lies. Even though it is a fairly large fat collection, it only occupies a small area immediately below the cheek bone. It does not extend down near the mouth area which is a different area of fat in the subcutaneous layer know as the perioral mounds. When looking for facial thinning in the cheek area, it is usually necessary to combine partial buccal fat pad reduction with perioral mound liposuction.

I can not tell about the potential benefits of chin augmentation based on just a frontal picture only. I would need to see a side picture. Chin augmentation is usually only beneficial to facial thinning if it helps elongate the face and helps makes the chin more narrow in the frontal view.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis,Indiana