Can facial contouring surgery correct facial asymmetry?

Hello. I’m Director Jo Hyun-woo of 3D Plastic Surgery.

Today, I’ll talk about facial asymmetry.

The most common concerns about facial shape are facial asymmetry, which has a strong asymmetrical element, and jaw asymmetry.

Facial asymmetry refers to a condition in which the left and right sides of the face are not balanced. It can develop as the bones or muscles of the face grow due to various causes such as daily habits or genetics. However, everyone’s face has some degree of asymmetry.

When the difference is severe, it can cause not only stress over appearance but also pain.

The first method we usually think of for improving facial asymmetry is double jaw surgery.

If the facial axis is significantly tilted or there is a noticeable misalignment of the jawbone, facial asymmetry can be improved through double jaw surgery.

Many patients do not want a major operation like double jaw surgery.

In such cases, an alternative option is improving asymmetry through facial contouring surgery.

Correction of facial asymmetry: zygoma reduction, square jaw surgery, masseter muscle resection

First, it is important to identify the cause of the asymmetry.

If one side is simply more developed, facial asymmetry can be corrected with facial contouring surgery if the corrective effect can be achieved by shaving down just one side of the bone.

Correction of jaw asymmetry: square jaw surgery, chin surgery

If there is asymmetry in the chin position, a better facial balance can be expected through chin surgery.

In addition to improving asymmetry, chin surgery can also be performed to match a variety of chin shapes, such as a long chin, prognathic chin, weak chin, short chin, or wide chin.

I’ll explain this using an actual CT scan.

If you look at the CT scan, the central axis of the upper and lower front teeth is aligned.

The facial axis is not twisted, and only the height of the chin tip and the jawline are slightly different.

In such cases, if jaw surgery is performed with a difference between the left and right sides, asymmetry can be reduced to some extent.

If you look at the CT scans before and after surgery, you can see that the asymmetry has been reduced.

The left mandible had a significant amount of cortical bone removed. The cortical bone was refined without affecting the inferior alveolar nerve.

I’ll show you actual follow-up photos.

No matter which surgical method is used, asymmetry cannot be completely resolved.

However, if the axis is tilted or rotated, double jaw surgery can greatly reduce asymmetry.

If the difference is simply in height or width, facial contouring surgery can appropriately reduce asymmetry.

It is important to have an accurate understanding of your own bone condition, and to be familiar with the pros and cons of the surgical plan and method before making a choice.

I hope this was helpful for those who are concerned about facial asymmetry.

Thank you.