Integrated Surgical and Nonsurgical Approaches to Chin Augmentation: Our Clinical Algorithm and Technique

The chin is a key structural and aesthetic component of the lower face and plays an increasingly important role in full-face rejuvenation. As patient awareness of global facial balance grows, the demand for customized approaches to chin enhancement has expanded beyond the correction of severe functional retrognathia to include aesthetic microgenia and age-related involution.

To present our comprehensive clinical approach to chin augmentation, detailing the indications, decision-making process, and techniques we employ for nonsurgical volumization with hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, structural augmentation with silicone alloplastic implants, and soft-tissue refinement with autologous fat grafting.

We describe our treatment algorithm and operative protocols based on anatomical analysis, patient selection criteria, injection strategies for HA fillers, surgical technique for submental implant placement with mentalis management and implant fixation, and the adjunctive use of fat grafting for contour refinement. Relevant literature is cited to support key technical principles.

In our practice, HA fillers provide precise, reversible enhancement for mild to moderate microgenia and for early aging-related changes, whereas silicone implants offer stable and reliable structural projection in patients requiring definitive correction. Fat grafting effectively restores soft-tissue volume and improves contour transitions, particularly in aging patients or in combination with implants. Across these modalities, natural and harmonious outcomes are achieved by adhering to an anatomy-driven approach and by integrating techniques when appropriate.

Chin augmentation is most effective when approached through a personalized, anatomy-based algorithm that combines nonsurgical and surgical modalities. By tailoring HA fillers, silicone implants, and autologous fat grafting to the specific needs of each patient, we achieve predictable, balanced, and durable aesthetic results while maintaining safety and respecting the functional integrity of the lower face.

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