If you've grown to dread the thought of side-angle photos of yourself or find yourself browsing the turtleneck aisle of your local clothing store in an effort to conceal what you perceive as a "weak" or recessive chin, you may be wondering whether cosmetic surgery is an option. Both chin implants and facelifts can help improve your profile and jaw line permanently -- however, going under the knife, even for a minor procedure, can be a scary prospect. Read on to learn more about how advances in cosmetic surgery technology (as well as pre-surgical planning) can help you ensure you achieve precisely the result you expect.

What surgical options can treat a weak chin? 

One of the most popular surgical options for a recessive chin is a chin implant. Unlike breast implants, which are made of a flexible shell filled with silicone or saline, chin implants are made from a firm, medical-grade plastic that will adhere to and eventually integrate with your jaw bone, becoming a permanent part of your body. Once this osseointegration takes place, your body's risk of rejecting the chin implant drops to nearly zero, and unlike breast implants, artificial knee and hip joints, and a variety of other implants, your chin implant shouldn't require any further surgery.

Another option is a lower facelift. Unlike a full facelift, which trims away excess skin to tighten wrinkles and sagging areas around the forehead, eyes, and mouth, a lower facelift concentrates on the mouth, jaw, and neckline. In many cases, removing excess skin around the mouth and neck and tightening up the jaw line is enough to improve the chin's appearance without requiring an additional implant. 

Both these procedures are performed under general anesthesia and may require you to spend a night or two at the hospital for observation following your surgery. After a brief recovery period, you'll be back to normal -- albeit with a more aesthetically pleasing profile. 

How will you know whether you're ready to take the plunge?

One common concern with any type of elective surgery is whether the time, pain, and expense will be worthwhile in the end. You may be reluctant to spend money on cosmetic surgery and achieve only a minor improvement in your appearance (or no improvement at all). Fortunately, many physicians, like those at Plastic Surgery Innovation PC, have invested in high-tech three-dimensional imaging software that can program your facial dimensions into a computer and show you a realistic and accurate picture of exactly what the proposed changes will look like once you've healed.   

You'll then be able to work directly with your surgeon (prior to surgery) to tweak and make any necessary alterations. While knowing the precise outcome of your surgical procedure may take some of the surprise out of the "big reveal" post-op, you'll be able to rest assured that you know exactly what to expect before ever going under the knife.