Yes, chin surgery is widely available and one of the more common facial procedures performed by plastic and maxillofacial surgeons. It can reshape, enlarge, reduce, or reposition the chin for cosmetic or functional reasons. The average surgeon’s fee for chin augmentation is $3,641, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, though total costs run higher once you factor in anesthesia, facility fees, and follow-up care.
Whether you’re considering it because your chin looks recessed in photos, your bite doesn’t align properly, or you’ve been told your jaw structure contributes to sleep apnea, there are several paths to changing your chin’s shape. Here’s what each option involves and what to realistically expect.
Two Main Surgical Options
Chin Implants
A chin implant works best for mild to moderate chin retrusion when your jaw alignment is otherwise normal. A surgeon places a solid, medical-grade silicone implant over your existing bone to increase projection or improve the chin’s shape. One of the most noticeable effects: adding chin projection often makes the nose appear smaller and the neck more defined without directly altering either area. The procedure is straightforward and typically shorter than bone-repositioning surgery.
Sliding Genioplasty
Sliding genioplasty is a more involved procedure where the surgeon cuts a section of your actual chin bone, repositions it, and secures it with small titanium plates and screws. Because the surgeon is working with your own bone rather than adding material, this approach offers complete control over chin shape, height, and symmetry. It’s the recommended option for severe chin retrusion, facial asymmetry, or vertical imbalance related to jaw alignment or bite problems. Genioplasty can also correct functional issues, including certain bite problems or chin positions that affect speech.
When Chin Surgery Is Medically Necessary
Chin surgery isn’t always cosmetic. People with micrognathia (a significantly undersized lower jaw) may have airway obstruction that contributes to obstructive sleep apnea. In these cases, a procedure called maxillomandibular advancement, sometimes combined with genioplasty, can open the airway by physically moving the jaw and chin forward. Indications for this type of surgery include moderate to severe sleep apnea, sleep apnea alongside a dentofacial deformity, and specific patterns of airway collapse seen during a sleep endoscopy.
When surgery addresses a documented functional problem like airway obstruction or significant bite dysfunction, insurance is more likely to cover part or all of the cost. Purely cosmetic chin surgery is almost always out of pocket.
How Surgeons Plan Your Procedure
Before any chin surgery, your surgeon will take detailed imaging to figure out exactly how many millimeters your chin needs to move and in which direction. This typically involves cone beam CT scans, which produce three-dimensional images of your skull. The surgeon measures the position of your chin relative to your upper jaw and other facial landmarks, using established reference points to quantify how far your chin sits behind (or below) its ideal position. These measurements guide the size of implant selected or the exact cut made during a genioplasty.
For implants, the surgeon also selects the right shape and profile from a range of prefabricated options. For genioplasty, the 3D planning allows precise repositioning in multiple directions simultaneously, not just forward and back but also up, down, or to one side to correct asymmetry.
Incisions and Scarring
Most chin surgeries use an incision inside the mouth, along the lower lip area. This leaves no visible external scar. The specific type of intraoral incision varies (vertical, horizontal, U-shaped), with vertical incisions being the most commonly used approach.
An external approach, with an incision under the chin, is also possible but less popular because it leaves a small scar on the skin. Some surgeons prefer the external route for implant placement because it offers a more direct view. The scar typically sits in the natural crease under the chin and fades over time, but it’s still visible on close inspection.
Risks and Complications
The most talked-about risk with chin surgery is nerve injury. The mental nerve, which provides sensation to your lower lip and chin, runs through the area where surgeons operate. When a bone cut is involved (as in genioplasty), the risk of nerve injury has been reported as high as 10%, because natural variations in nerve anatomy make it hard to predict exactly where the nerve sits in every patient. Most nerve injuries are temporary, causing numbness that resolves over weeks to months, but persistent sensory changes are possible.
For chin implants specifically, infection rates are low. A case series of 324 chin implants found an infection rate of 0.62%, and another series of 125 consecutive patients reported zero infections. Other potential complications include implant displacement, tissue reaction, and lower lip tightness. Implant migration, while commonly feared, was not observed in either of those large case series.
Implant Materials Compared
The two most common implant materials are silicone and porous polyethylene (sold under the brand name Medpor). Silicone implants are smooth and can be removed or replaced relatively easily, but they carry a slightly higher rate of infection and displacement. Medpor implants have a porous structure that allows your tissue to grow into them, which holds them firmly in place but makes removal more difficult if needed. Medpor shows a higher rate of prominence problems, meaning the implant edges may become visible or palpable under thin skin. Overall complication rates are low with both materials, and exposure or extrusion (the implant pushing through tissue) is rare for either type.
What Recovery Looks Like
The first week after chin surgery involves the most discomfort. Your chin and lower lip will feel tight, and you’ll notice significant swelling that can distort your appearance. Eating is limited to soft foods, and talking may feel awkward.
By the one-month mark, the majority of swelling has resolved, and you’ll start to see the real shape of your new chin. Temporary numbness in the lower lip and chin is common and can last anywhere from one to two weeks to several months, depending on how much the surgery stretched or compressed the nerve. Final results, with all swelling gone and tissue fully settled, typically take several months to appreciate fully.
Non-Surgical Chin Augmentation
If you’re not ready for surgery, injectable dermal fillers offer a temporary alternative. Hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxylapatite fillers can add projection and contour to the chin in a single office visit with no incisions. Short-term satisfaction is high, and side effects are mostly limited to swelling, bruising, and mild pain that resolve quickly.
The tradeoff is durability. Fillers break down over time and need to be repeated every 12 to 24 months to maintain results. They also can’t achieve the same degree of change as surgery, particularly for patients with significant retrusion or asymmetry. Rare but serious vascular complications are possible if filler is accidentally injected into or compresses a blood vessel. For someone testing whether they like the look of a more projected chin before committing to surgery, fillers can serve as a useful trial run.
Cost Breakdown
The $3,641 average surgeon’s fee reported by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons covers only the surgeon’s time. Your total bill will also include anesthesia fees, hospital or surgical facility costs, medical tests, post-surgery garments, and prescriptions. Depending on your location, the type of procedure, and whether it’s done in an office-based surgical suite or a hospital, total costs for chin implant surgery generally range from $5,000 to $10,000 or more. Sliding genioplasty tends to cost more because it requires longer operating time and sometimes an overnight stay. Pricing varies significantly by geographic region, with major metropolitan areas and coastal cities charging more.
Filler-based augmentation costs less per session (typically $600 to $2,000), but the need for repeat treatments means the cumulative cost can approach or exceed surgical prices within a few years.