The cleft chin – people either love it or hate it. There’s very little in between. One thing is certain. A cleft chin is hard to overlook in public. The gentle or prominent chin dimple garners attention like no other facial feature save for the eyes or nose.
What causes a cleft chin? The most likely answer is genetics. Dimpled chins run in families in much the same way hair and eye color are genetically determined traits. There is nothing right or wrong about cleft chins. In some social circles, cleft chins are considered attractive – even sexy. Classic cinema hunks Clark Gable of Gone with the Wind fame, Kirk Douglas and Gregory Peck all had dimpled chins and were proud of them. Most fans felt it gave them character.
Then again, some people just think having a “butt chin” is a big turn-off. A cleft chin really can be a personal advantage or a personal drawback depending on the crowd you’re in. It’s really a matter of personal preference and taste.
What many don’t know is that an indented chin is also something you can add, augment, or remove with the magic of plastic surgery. Chin augmentation, or chin reshaping, is one option for removing a cleft chin. A chin implant surgically placed below the muscle of the chin is used to smooth out the chin indentation so that it is removed or substantially reduced in appearance. Botox is an injectable that is used to flatten out the chin crease so that it is less noticeable or gone. Fat grafts and dermal fat grafts are other methods employed for the partial or total removal of the dimpled chin. The procedure is low-risk and is completed in about an hour on an outpatient basis.
For those who desire what some consider the allure of a chin cleft, special implants are used to create the indentation.
Attractive or not, depending on your point of view, it all boils down to a matter of choice when it comes to adding, enhancing, or getting rid of a dimpled chin. A qualified plastic surgeon can help make your decision an easier one to make.
Dr. Ran Y. Rubinstein is a dual board certified facial plastic surgeon in New York with offices located at 200 Stony Brook Court, Suite 2, Newburgh, N.Y. Call 845-863-1772 for a consultation.
