Long Chin, Long Face Contouring - Cases That Do Not Require Double Jaw Surgery

Hello. I am Dr. Jae-Hun Cho of Inbiti Plastic Surgery.

Today, I would like to talk about long-face contouring and long-chin contouring surgery, along with a case of a patient who underwent long-chin surgery because they wanted to shorten their face length.

First, with long-face contouring, it is important to identify the exact reason why the patient’s face is ‘long.’

In consultations, many people with long faces or long chins worry whether double jaw surgery is the only answer.

Long-face contouring is not always solved by double jaw surgery alone; it depends on the condition of the patient’s facial bones.

Long-face contouring, long-chin contouring

The human face is broadly divided into three parts.

From the forehead to the eyebrows is called the ‘upper face,’ from the eyebrows to the tip of the nose is the ‘midface,’ and from the tip of the nose to the chin is the ‘lower face.’

When the face appears long, there are two cases: 1) the midface is long, or 2) the lower face is long.

First, if the length from the eyebrows to the tip of the nose is long when looking at the face, the length of the maxilla, or upper jaw bone, must be reduced.

Therefore, for a long midface, ‘double jaw surgery’ is needed among long-face contouring and long-chin contouring procedures.

Long-face contouring, long-face double jaw surgery

If the upper jaw shown in the illustration is long and too much of the teeth and gums show when smiling, you can see a significant effect with double jaw surgery, which cuts the middle part of the upper jaw and moves it upward. However, if the midface from the eyebrows to the tip of the nose is overall long, even if double jaw surgery reduces the length of the maxilla, it cannot change the fixed position of the nose and the soft tissues.

Although the bone length is reduced, the position of the nose does not change, so there are limits to adjusting the visible length of the midface.

You may think that reducing the length of the nose would solve this, but while the length of the tip of the nose can be reduced surgically, reducing the nostrils or the overall length of the nose is also impossible.

Fortunately, cases in which the midface is long are not very common.

In general, when people refer to a long face, it is usually a case in which the lower face is longer than the midface.

If the lower face from the tip of the nose to the chin is long, even if the jawbone is greatly developed, it can be addressed with relatively simple long-face contouring and long-chin surgery.

Long-face contouring for a developed lower face reduces the length of the facial bones through ‘chin surgery’ and ‘long curved resection.’

The length can be reduced with chin surgery alone, but if you want a greater effect, it is better to also perform square jaw surgery at the same time.

I will explain this by showing an actual patient case.

Before long-face contouring and long-chin contouring surgery

This is a preoperative photo of a patient who underwent long-face contouring.

As you can see in the photo, the lower face from the tip of the nose to the chin is long.

The patient had a severely developed lower jaw and was even considering ‘double jaw surgery’ at the time of the visit.

Long-face contouring / Preoperative CT

Looking at the patient’s CT, you can confirm that the chin is actually long and the lower jawbone is broadly developed.

Based on my diagnosis, I explained that the lower jaw length could be reduced overall through long-face contouring using ‘long curved resection’ and ‘mandibular inferior border reduction (LBO).’

Long-face contouring / Pre- and postoperative CT

In this patient’s case, the square jaw bone was first cut with long curved resection. Rather than a typical surgery that removes the angle of the jaw near the ears, the resection was done in a direction that reduces length. The chin bone was also reduced in length by performing mandibular inferior border reduction (LBO).

This photo was taken at the 6-month postoperative follow-up. This patient also had cheekbone surgery, but if you look at the lower jaw first, you can see that the chin length was reduced through long-face contouring and the balance of the lower jaw was improved, which greatly reduced the impression of a long face.

In fact, the length can also be reduced with chin surgery alone, but if you consider not only the absolute length but also the balance and proportions of the face, it is better to perform square jaw surgery as well.

Long-face contouring, long-chin contouring / Before and after square jaw surgery and chin surgery

The most important thing in all facial contouring surgeries, including long-face contouring and long-chin surgery, is ‘proportion.’

Because the face has ideal proportions, having large eyes, a high nose, and a pointed chin does not automatically make someone look beautiful.

Even among celebrities, there are many beautiful actresses who do not have double eyelids or who have low nose bridges.

Just like the body, the face is considered beautiful when the proportions are balanced and the features are harmonious.

Until 10 years ago, it was said that the ideal proportion was for the upper face, midface, and lower face to be in a 1:1:1 ratio.

However, these days, the trend is that the younger someone looks, the more beautiful they are considered.

Although aesthetic preferences differ from person to person, in general, the shorter the chin, the younger the face appears.

Nowadays, many young women in Korea prefer a short, small chin.

People who come for consultations for long-face contouring and long-chin surgery often ask to be adjusted to about 1:1:0.8 rather than 1:1:1.

Long-face contouring, long-chin contouring / Before and after 230-degree three-dimensional cheekbone reduction and chin surgery

At this point, with long-face contouring and long-chin surgery, you should not simply shorten the length unconditionally or cut the jawbone as in a typical square jaw surgery.

Among patients who come for revision surgery, many have previously undergone long-face contouring or long-chin surgery, but the problem is that their faces have become unnatural.

If surgery is performed without considering proportions, the absolute length of the face may become shorter, but the balance of the face is completely disrupted and it no longer looks beautiful.

If the surgery is done like a standard square jaw procedure, it can create the so-called ‘dog jaw’ appearance.

And the biggest problem is that after long-face contouring, the face may actually look longer after surgery than before.

A face can look longer or shorter depending on its angles and proportions.

I call this the ‘frontal effect,’ and I have written a separate column about it, so if you are considering facial contouring surgery, I recommend reading it before surgery.

Long-face contouring / Before and after square jaw surgery and chin surgery

As a side note, this patient had surgery earlier this year, and when they came in for a follow-up check, what I remember most is that their expression had become much brighter, more than the change in their face after surgery.

More than the face itself, when I see patients whose expressions have become brighter like this, I think that is when I feel the greatest reward in doing this work.^^

For long-face contouring and long-chin surgery, an accurate diagnosis along with CT imaging is the most important thing.

You should not receive a large operation based on an incorrect diagnosis if it is not right for you, or end up with an awkward face that is not beautiful.

If you think your face looks long, I recommend visiting a clinic for an accurate diagnosis and, before deciding on surgery, visiting several hospitals.

Thank you for reading this long post.