The chin is a critical component of facial harmony. It is the unsung hero of filler treatments, as I find that patients rarely ask for it, but when done correctly, it is a powerful and subtle way to improve the proportions and youthfulness of the face.  

There are multiple ways to assess the chin. A common tool is Ricketts’ line, which is a line drawn from the tip of the nose to the most projected part of the chin (image 1). Ideally, the upper lip should lie around 4mm, and the lower lip should lie 2mm behind this line. If you’re not a technical person, you might instinctively know your chin is short if you prefer to take pictures from the front rather than from the side.  You may also have dimpling of the chin, which occurs due to overactivity of the muscle on the chin from lack of bony support. 

The chin also plays a role in feminising or masculinising the face. The typical female face has a chin which comes to a point, creating an oval or “heart-shaped” face. The typical male face has a stronger lower face, which is framed by a squarer and wider chin.   

Some less obvious indications for chin augmentation include narrowing the face. Having a wide face is a common concern in the East Asian population, who have less prominence in the midline of their face but strong bone structure on the sides of the face. Treating the chin and cheeks refocuses the way light falls onto the face, allowing the face to appear narrower. Chin augmentation can also balance the size of the nose, as the shorter the chin is, the larger the nose appears in comparison. A double chin or jowls can also be improved by chin elongation.  

In the older patient, the chin tends to soften and rotate upwards, creating a deeper crease beneath the lip. By placing filler in this crease, the lip is better supported, and the chin can be rotated downwards, so that it is more continuous with the rest of the jawline.  

I love treating the chin. My patients who have had this treatment love it because of how effective it is without an overpowering or unnatural result. It’s given them confidence and for me, this is what makes this job worth it.