Chin filler in Suwon: how are a receding chin and a short chin enhanced, and how long does it last?

If your chin sits well behind your lower lip in profile, or the lower part of your face looks short and blunt, and this bothers you, it is worth first identifying why your chin looks small. Chin filler is a procedure in which hyaluronic acid gel is placed over the tip of the jawbone to add length and forward volume to a short or receding chin.

Because the chin tip is an area that needs to hold its shape, a relatively firm formulation that does not spread easily is placed in a deep layer close to the bone, and the amount is determined based on the line formed by the nose tip, lips, and chin in profile. At our Suwon clinic, we take photos before treatment and first determine whether the chin looks small because of bone length, muscle tension, or fat under the chin before designing the treatment.

In this article, we go through why receding and short chins occur, when chin filler is suitable and when another approach fits better, the principle and process of chin filler, recovery care, and side effects.

Chin filler at a glance

• A receding chin is one that sits back, while a short chin has little vertical length, and the two can occur together.
• When the jawline looks blurred because of fat or sagging under the chin, other approaches are considered before chin filler.
• Chin filler places a highly elastic formulation on the bone to build a supporting pillar before refining the contour, and for men it adds length while keeping the width.
• Duration is generally given as 6 to 12 months, depending on the area, product, and individual, and pressure on the chin should be avoided for 2 to 3 weeks.

Why do receding and short chins occur?

A receding chin is a condition in which the lower jawbone is small or set back, so the chin sits well behind the lower lip when viewed from the side. A short chin is one where the vertical length, rather than front-to-back position, is short, making the lower face look blunt and round. The two may appear together, or only one may be present.

If bumpy wrinkles like a walnut shell form on your chin when you close your mouth, it is a sign that the chin muscle is working too hard. When the chin is short, you keep using this muscle to bring your lips together, and the chin looks even flatter as a result.

When chin filler is suitable and when another approach fits better

What chin filler can address depends on why the chin looks small.

A jawline that looks blurred because of excess fat under the chin or sagging skin is a different issue from chin length, and adding filler in this case may make only the chin tip stand out. When the causes are mixed, we plan the treatments in separate steps.

How does chin filler create shape?

How chin filler works and chin filler design for men

Filler is a gel made by cross-linking hyaluronic acid, a substance naturally found in the skin, so that it holds its form. It fills volume where it is injected and retains its shape by holding onto surrounding moisture, then gradually breaks down and is absorbed over time. The chin moves every time you talk and chew and is under constant pressure from above and below, so a highly elastic formulation that keeps its form under pressure is placed directly on the membrane covering the bone to build a supporting pillar, and the contour is then refined in the layer beneath the skin.

Men's faces tend to have a wider chin and a well-defined jaw angle, so chin filler for men is designed to add forward projection and vertical length while keeping the width, and to broadly support the underside of the chin, rather than narrowing the tip. Injecting a little less than needed at first and then refining the shape after the swelling subsides makes it easier to balance the chin with the nose and lips.

Treatment steps at our Suwon clinic

1. Personalized Consultation
2. Photos (Before Treatment)
3. Numbing Cream / Local Anesthesia
4. Design
5. Disinfection
6. Treatment
7. Photos (After Treatment)

The procedure takes about 10 minutes, and you can return to daily life right away. The filler is chosen between domestic hyaluronic acid fillers and imported fillers (Restylane, Belotero) based on the pressure the chin is under, skin thickness, and the degree of projection you want. Domestic fillers come in 1cc, 3cc, and 5cc options, and the amount of imported filler is decided at the consultation. Duration is generally given as 6 to 12 months, and a touch-up is planned after bruising and swelling have subsided.

See Restylane filler treatment details

Recovery and care after chin filler

• You may wash your face and wear makeup starting 2 to 3 hours after treatment, and the DuoDERM patches on the injection sites are removed after 1 to 3 days.
• Take the prescribed medication consistently for 3 days to prevent inflammation and relieve pain.
• For 3 to 7 days after treatment, avoid heavy drinking, smoking, saunas and Korean bathhouses, hot baths, and strenuous exercise.
• For 2 to 3 weeks, avoid anything that presses on or stimulates the chin, such as sleeping face down or on your side, facial meridian massage, dental treatment, and ultrasound or radiofrequency treatments.

Because the injection is placed where beard hair grows, it is best not to press a razor hard against the chin for a few days after treatment. Right after injection, the chin may look bigger than planned because of swelling, and the shape settles as the swelling goes down.

Side effects and precautions for chin filler

As an injection procedure, it may cause bruising, swelling, tenderness when pressed, or a foreign-body sensation, most of which subside within 1 to 2 weeks. Slight asymmetry or a lumpy feeling may also decrease as the swelling goes down, and if it remains, it is adjusted with a small touch-up or a dissolving injection. The degree of effect and reaction varies from person to person.

Rarely, if filler blocks a blood vessel, skin discoloration or skin necrosis can occur, and infection, allergic reactions, and nerve damage can also rarely occur. Because blood vessels run along both sides of the chin and below the lower lip, we set the injection depth and direction carefully and do not inject a large amount into one spot. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have inflammation at the treatment site, are allergic to antibiotics, or take blood-thinning medication, be sure to let us know before treatment.

If pain keeps getting worse despite taking prescribed medication, if the skin of your chin and lower lip turns pale or develops a blotchy purple color, or if blisters, warmth, or itching persist, please contact the clinic right away.

What should be checked before chin filler?

If any of these apply, start with a profile proportion assessment

• In profile, my chin sits behind my lower lip.
• The lower part of my face looks short and round.
• Bumpy wrinkles form on my chin when I close my mouth.
• Fullness under my chin or a double chin also bothers me.

If two or more of these apply, it is best to first check whether your chin looks small because of bone length or because of muscle or fat. Whether to proceed, and the method and scope of treatment, are decided together at your consultation after a physician examines you.

In short, the key to chin filler is to first identify why the chin looks small, inject the amount in stages to match your profile proportions, and protect the shape for 2 to 3 weeks.

FAQ

Q. How long does chin filler last?

A. Duration is generally given as 6 to 12 months depending on the treatment area, product, and individual, and it also varies with the amount injected and how much you use your jaw muscles. Because the gel is absorbed little by little, when you feel the shape has diminished, we look at its condition and decide whether a touch-up is needed.

Q. How painful is chin filler?

A. Treatment is done with numbing cream, and local anesthesia is added if needed. You will feel a heavy pressing sensation during injection, though how much you feel varies by person, and the chin may feel sore when pressed for a day or two after treatment.

Q. Is chin filler for a receding chin in men done the same way?

A. The principle is the same, but the design is different. Men tend to have a wider chin and a well-defined jaw angle, so rather than making the chin pointed, the design adds length forward and downward while keeping the width and broadly supports the underside of the chin.

Q. Can chin filler be reversed if I'm not happy with the result?

A. Hyaluronic acid filler can be dissolved with hyaluronidase, an enzyme that breaks it down. Because it is hard to judge the final shape while swelling remains, we look at the shape after bruising and swelling have subsided and decide at the consultation whether to touch it up or dissolve it.

Q. Can I get jaw botulinum toxin and chin filler on the same day?

A. Botulinum toxin works on the chewing muscle at the side of the jaw, while filler works on the bone at the chin tip, so they act on different areas. The two are sometimes done on the same day, and this is decided at the consultation by looking at the swelling timeline and the injection sites for both treatments.

Q. How can I find out the cost of chin filler?

A. The cost depends on the filler product and volume. We explain it after confirming at your consultation whether a domestic or imported filler will be used and how much will be injected, and you can also check the items for each option on the treatment information page.