Chin and Cheek Contouring 

Sculpt, Define, and Balance Your Features 

Your facial bone structure influences how others see you, reflecting inner qualities like vitality, elegance, and strength of character. If you want to enhance the definition of your facial contours, the board-certified plastic surgeons at South Bay Plastic Surgeons can help you achieve your aesthetic goals with chin and cheek contouring in Torrance. As specialists in buccal fat removal, chin liposuction, and facial implants, they can enhance your natural bone structure to create a beautifully balanced and defined look. We proudly serve clients from Los Angeles, Long Beach, and surrounding areas, providing tailored solutions that bring out the best in their features. 

Buccal Fat Removal

If you are bothered by having a “baby face” or “chipmunk cheeks,” regardless of your weight or age, liposuction is not the solution. Buccal fat removal is a surgical procedure that reduces or removes the buccal fat pad that sits between cheekbones and the jawline above the facial muscles deep within the cheek.

How it’s done:

Our surgeons typically perform buccal fat removal with local anesthetic through small incisions within the cheek. They surgically remove enough fat to reveal the cheekbones without creating a hollowed or gaunt appearance. The results are subtle and may make you look like you lost weight.

Recovery:

• Eat a soft diet for the first few days as directed.
• Return to school, work, and normal activities in 1 to 2 weeks.
• Swelling begins to subside in about a week.
• Final results take about 2 months to reach.

Nonsurgical alternative:

• None

Chin Liposuction

Some people are genetically predisposed to store fat under the chin (double chin). For many, this submental fat doesn’t go away with weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. Our surgeons use chin liposuction to remove this fat with precision, adding definition to the jawline and making the face look slimmer.

How it’s done:

After numbing the area with a local anesthetic, the surgeon inserts a long, thin tube called a cannula through a tiny incision in a natural crease under the chin. Next, the surgeon gently suctions the fat away using liposuction, possibly enhanced with VASERlipo®, and then closes the incision with sutures or tape.

Recovery:

• Keep your head elevated for the first few days to minimize swelling.
• Wear a compression chin strap for a week or 2 as directed to encourage firm contours.
• Return to normal activities in about a week.
• Improvement is noticeable within a few weeks as swelling fades.
• Final results take about 2 to 3 months to attain.

Patients may improve their contour after recovery with ThermiRF® skin tightening treatments.

Nonsurgical alternatives:

• CoolSculpting®
• KYBELLA® injections

For more information about chin liposuction, review our related blog post.

Chin and Cheek Implants

Our surgeons use custom-fitted facial implants to add definition to the chin and cheeks permanently. These solid silicone implants are firm and feel similar to bone.

How it’s done:

After selecting the facial implants best suited for your cosmetic goals and fine-tuning their shape (if necessary), the surgeon numbs the targeted areas with a local anesthetic. The surgeon inserts cheek implants through an incision within the cheek and a chin implant through an incision under the chin or inside the mouth. After positioning the implant over the natural cheek or chin bone, the surgeon sutures the incisions closed.

Recovery:

• Expect mild swelling and bruising for about a week.
• Return to normal activities in 1 to 2 weeks.
• For 6 weeks, avoid activities and sports that may impact the face.
• Final results take about 2 to 3 months to reach.

Nonsurgical alternatives:

• JUVÉDERM VOLUMA®
• JUVÉDERM VOLUX®
• Restylane® Lyft
• Sculptra®

While chin implants provide permanent improvement, the results from injectables are temporary.

Complementary Procedures

Chin and cheek contouring procedures are excellent complements for each other; they also enhance the results of other facial procedures. Popular procedures that go well with chin and cheek contouring include:

• Rhinoplasty
• Facelift
• Eyelid surgery
• Fat transfer
• Lip fillers