Chin Surgery in Valencia | Genioplasty

In short

The chin is assessed in profile and in relation to the nose, the lip and the neck, never on its own: a receding chin can make the nose look larger when there is nothing wrong with the nose.
Filler, implant and bone surgery are not interchangeable. They act at different depths and solve different problems; anatomy decides, not preference.
If what is set back is not the chin but the whole jaw, chin surgery is not the answer: the treatment is then orthognathic and is assessed with the appropriate specialist.
In the literature on chin implants, satisfaction is around 97.8%, with infection below 1%; the commonest finding is bone resorption under the implant (8.3%) and temporary tingling of the lower lip.
Guide price: between 3,000 and 4,900 €, depending on the technique and on whether it is combined with another operation. Always subject to prior assessment.

Chin surgery, also called genioplasty, is a procedure that changes the shape, the size or the projection of the chin. It belongs to the facial operations aimed at improving the proportions of the face, particularly in profile, which is where the chin governs.

It is usually associated with aesthetic aims, but in some cases it has a functional component too: a set-back jaw position can affect the bite or create muscular tension. This page goes through the whole procedure: which technique suits which anatomy, what the operation and the recovery are like, what the risks are, roughly what it costs and — this matters — when chin surgery is not the answer.

What exactly is chin surgery?

Chin surgery is a day-case operation that changes the structure of the chin in order to improve the appearance of the profile. It may mean adding volume — with an implant or with the patient’s own fat — or, less often, reducing and reshaping the bone.

It is carried out under local anaesthetic with sedation, or under general anaesthetic, depending on the case, and the recovery is quick.

The part the chin plays in facial appearance

The chin is part of the lower third of the face. Its relationship with the nose, the lower lip and the neck defines the profile. A markedly receding chin can make the nose look more prominent than it is and make the neck look less defined. Conversely, a chin that projects too far breaks the balance the other way.

That is where it gets interesting: in some patients who come about their nose, what is out of balance is the chin. That is why the assessment is made on the whole profile and not on a single piece of it.

When is chin surgery worth considering?

It is reasonable to consider in these cases:

A chin with little projection, or set back, that unbalances the face
Profiles in which the nose looks out of proportion to the lower third
An imbalance between nose, lips and chin
Mild jaw asymmetry showing in the lower third
Patients who have had a rhinoplasty and want to complete the balance of the profile
Good general health and realistic expectations

Are there any differences if the patient is a man? We explain them in chin surgery for men.

When the problem is not the chin

This is the most important distinction on the page. If what is set back is not the chin but the whole jaw, bringing the point of the chin forward may improve the profile from the side but leaves the underlying problem untouched — one that affects the bite and the relationship between the two jaws. In that situation the treatment is orthognathic, it is planned with a study of the occlusion, and it should be assessed with the appropriate specialist.

That is why an assessment that looks only at a profile photograph is not enough: bony, dental or jaw problems that call for a different treatment have to be ruled out.

What options are there?

It is worth saying at the outset: these techniques are not interchangeable alternatives. They act at different depths and solve different problems.

Chin implant. An implant is placed on the bone, through a submental incision — under the chin, hidden in a natural crease — or from inside the mouth. It is the usual choice when projection has to be gained in a stable, predictable way.
Fat transfer. Fat is taken from the patient, processed and reinjected. It introduces no synthetic material and gives a natural result, but part of the graft is reabsorbed, so more than one session may be needed.
Reduction genioplasty. Reshaping the bone when the chin is excessively prominent.
Osteotomy (sliding genioplasty). A controlled cut is made in the chin bone and it is repositioned. It is the option when a substantial movement of bone is needed, in more than one direction, or when an implant is not wanted.

The choice depends on how much projection is lacking, on the shape of the bone, on the thickness of the tissues and on whether there is a functional component. It is decided in the consulting room, not from a catalogue.

They are not interchangeable alternatives: each acts at a different depth. How much projection is lacking, the shape of the bone and the thickness of the tissues decide which one applies.

The first consultation: assessing the profile

The assessment looks at:

The face in photographs, from the front and in profile
The relationship between nose, lips and chin
The symmetry of the jaw
The bite, to rule out a skeletal problem rather than one of the chin
Which technique best suits the facial structure

From that comes whether the patient benefits from chin surgery alone, whether it should be combined with another operation — a rhinoplasty, making it a profileplasty — or whether it should be referred for a different treatment.

The operation, step by step

The operation takes about an hour and is carried out as a day case, with no admission.

Anaesthetic. Local with sedation, or general, depending on the case and the technique.
Approach. For an implant, a small incision under the chin, in a natural crease, or else from inside the mouth. The external route gives better exposure; the intraoral route avoids a visible scar but is associated with a higher risk of infection, and that is the reason one or the other is chosen.
Placement. The implant is positioned on the bone, centred and fitted to the contour. In fat transfer, the fat is injected in several planes and in small amounts.
Closure. Sutures and, usually, a compression dressing for the first few days to limit swelling and prevent movement.

Recovery

The timescales are a guide and the surgeon adjusts them at each review.

Tingling or numbness in the lower lip is one of the commonest complaints and is almost always temporary, because of how close the mental nerve is. It is worth mentioning at your check-ups.

The first 48-72 hours. Relative rest, sleeping with your head raised, and a dressing. Swelling, tightness and a feeling of tension when speaking or smiling are all normal. Most patients go back to their usual activity in two or three days.

The first week. Strenuous exercise is avoided, the area is neither handled nor pressed, and a soft diet is followed if the approach was intraoral.

The first month. The swelling subsides gradually. Altered sensation in the lower lip or the chin — tingling, numbness — may persist; in most cases it is temporary, although it can last weeks or months.

From the sixth month onwards. The result is considered settled, once the tissues have adapted completely to the new shape.

The benefits of chin surgery

Better facial balance, particularly in profile
Greater definition of the angle between chin and neck
Correction of the imbalance between nose and chin, sometimes without touching the nose
Day surgery, with a quick return to normal life

Many patients also describe looking better in profile photographs, which is where the chin shows. That is an effect frequently reported, not a result that can be guaranteed.

Risks and complications

The figures that follow come from the literature on chin augmentation with an implant, which is the best documented technique. Reported satisfaction is around 97.8%, and the complications break down as follows:

Bone resorption under the implant: 8.3% — the commonest finding. The bone gives a little under the pressure of the implant; it is usually slight and of no consequence, but it is the reason the implant is placed in the right position and at the right size.
Implant migration: 5%
Implant malposition: 2.5%
Infection: below 1% — higher by the intraoral route than by the external one
Implant extrusion: 0.4%

To these can be added disturbances of the mental nerve — tingling, numbness or dysaesthesia in the chin and lower lip — generally temporary, although they can last for months. They are prevented by keeping the dissection in the safe zone, away from the course of the nerve.

With fat transfer the main issue is not a complication but partial reabsorption of the graft, which shapes the result and may make a second session necessary.

These figures describe the technique as a whole, not an individual prognosis: each person’s risk depends on their anatomy, on the approach and on their history, and it is assessed in consultation.

Surgery or hyaluronic acid filler?

Filler can be useful for a discreet increase or to try the result out before deciding, which is a reasonable use. But it acts on the soft tissue, not on the structure; its effect is temporary and it has to be repeated.

Surgery changes the structure and its result is stable over time. The choice between the two is not about price or fear of the operating theatre: it depends on how much projection is needed and on where the deficiency lies.

Guide price

At the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica del Mediterráneo, chin surgery comes to between 3,000 and 4,900 €. The range depends on:

The technique. Placing an implant does not cost the same as an osteotomy with repositioning of the bone.
The type of anaesthetic and how long the operation takes.
Whether it is combined with other surgery, such as a rhinoplasty in a profileplasty, in which case the whole is quoted together.

The quote is finalised after the assessment consultation. It covers the operation, the surgical team and the follow-up appointments.

And if a complication arises or a revision is needed?

Every case is looked at individually. If a complication arising from the surgery occurs, it is managed at the clinic without charging for the procedure again; minor refinement procedures are usually included, at minimal cost. This is not a guarantee of outcome — medicine is an obligation of means, not of results — but an undertaking to make dealing with any problem as straightforward as we possibly can.

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Frequently asked questions

Filler, implant or bone surgery: which one applies to me?

It depends on how much projection is lacking and on where the deficiency lies. Filler acts on the soft tissue and is temporary; an implant adds stable volume on the bone; an osteotomy moves the bone itself and allows larger corrections in more than one direction. They are not interchangeable, and anatomy decides.

Can the implant be felt? Can it be removed?

Properly sized and properly placed, it should be neither felt nor seen. It is removable: unlike repositioned bone, an implant can be changed or taken out in a second operation if necessary.

How long will I be swollen, and when can I go back to work?

Most patients go back in two or three days. The swelling goes down gradually over the first few weeks and the result is considered settled at around six months.

Is it normal for the lip to feel numb or to tingle?

Yes, it is one of the commonest complaints after this surgery, because of how close the mental nerve is. It is usually temporary, although it can last weeks or months. It is worth mentioning at your check-ups.

Can it be combined with a rhinoplasty?

Yes, and it is a common combination: it is called a profileplasty. In patients with an imbalance between nose and chin, treating only one of the two can leave the profile half done.

Is chin surgery any use if what is small is my jaw?

No. If the set-back affects the whole jaw and not only the chin, chin surgery improves the profile but does not correct the underlying problem, which also has implications for the bite. That case is investigated as orthognathic surgery.

Book your consultation

If you want to explore chin surgery, you can book a consultation with our team in Valencia. At that visit the whole profile is studied — not only the chin — you are told which technique suits your anatomy and which does not, and your questions are answered before any decision is taken.

Sources

Facial Chin Augmentation. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. NBK554506. — The submental and intraoral approaches and their different infection risk, anaesthetic options, and the rates quoted here: satisfaction 97.8%, bone resorption 8.3%, migration 5%, malposition 2.5%, infection <1%, extrusion 0.4%, and the generally temporary nature of mental nerve paraesthesia.
A Comprehensive Analysis of Genioplasty in Facial Feminization Surgery: A Systematic Review and Institutional Cohort Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2024. PMID 39797264. — A review of 9 studies and 1,185 patients putting the overall complication rate of genioplasty at 0.55%, with no permanent nerve injuries. A specific population undergoing facial feminisation surgery, so its figures do not transfer without qualification to other patients; it is cited as a reference for the safety of the bony technique in large series.
Sociedad Española de Cirugía Plástica, Reparadora y Estética. Facial implants (in Spanish). secpre.org/implantes-faciales. — The general framework for facial implants, the chin implant among them, for balancing the proportions of the face.

Clinical confirmation by the surgeon

Content reviewed and validated on 3 August 2026: indications, techniques and their limits, the distinction between a receding chin and jaw retrusion, the procedure, recovery timescales, complication rates and guide price.

Dr Elena García Vilariño, specialist in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, registration no. 46/4624503. Dr Enrique Salmerón González, specialist in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, registration no. 46/4624077.