Recovery from Chin Implant Surgery

Chin Surgery Recovery

After Your Chin Implant Procedure

Recovering from chin augmentation surgery - after you get your chin implants

After your chin augmentation surgery, you will need to have someone drive you home. You plastic surgeon's office should give you detailed instructions on your post-operative care.

Initially, your lower lip will feel "asleep", similar to what you experience after receiving a local anesthetic shot during a dental treatment. Expect to experience some discomfort and swelling in the chin and jaw area for several days after your procedure. You will likely have some difficulty with smiling and talking, and it's also common to feel a stretched or tight sensation This is only temporary and should go away after a week.

You may have some bruising around your chin and your neck. Your plastic surgeon's office will give you instructions on brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth in such a way as to avoid irritating the area.

If the incision was made in your mouth, you will probably have to follow a liquid and soft food diet for the first few days after surgery. You may be instructed to drink meal-replacement shakes so you can meet your nutritional requirements without the need for vigorous chewing. Rinsing your mouth after eating will keep the sutures clean.

While recovering from chin surgery is quick compared to other types of facial cosmetic surgery procedures, there will be some restrictions on your activities for a short period after your surgery. Normal activity usually can be resumed after about 10 days and rigorous activity after a few weeks.

Stitches that are placed in the mouth are often the dissolving kind, which will dissolve in ten days to two weeks. Non-dissolving sutures will have to be removed during one of your follow-up visits to your plastic surgeon, usually after about a week.

It takes about 6 weeks for all the swelling to go down. If the incisions are made in the mouth, no scars will be visible, but even with under the chin incisions the scarring is usually imperceptible.

Ensuring a comfortable recovery from your chin surgery

Since you will be limiting your activity for the first couple of days after your surgery, it's a good idea to set up a recovery area before you leave for your surgery. Some suggested items to have near where you'll be resting are:

Ice packs or cold packs. We know some people who recommend frozen peas in a freezer bag, too. They stay cold a long time, don't leak when they melt, and conform to the shape of your face.
Soft foods (Jell-O, pudding, shakes, etc.)
Any medications that your plastic surgeon recommends, including pain medications, mouth rinses, ointments, or salves.
A thermometer, so you can take your temperature if you suspect a fever.
Gauze rolls to absorb any discharge or bleeding.
Pillows.
A telephone with a list of your doctor's contact numbers nearby or in speed-dial. (Note: If you program the numbers into your speed dial, test them! You don't want to call the wrong number during an emergency.)

Chin implant surgery - Potential complications

While you can expect to have some discomfort after your surgery, there are some things that warrant a telephone call to your doctor. Among them:

Abnormal pain
Severe or prolonged bleeding
Abnormal, milky or pus-like discharge
Unusual swelling, including sudden puffiness. (Normal swelling will subside in a few days after your cheek augmentation surgery.)
Shifting of the chin implant
Fever over 100 degrees, which can signal infection

Returning to work and resuming normal activity after your chin implant procedure

Most people are ready to resume a normal schedule after a few days. You will need to take care, however, to avoid any activity which might cause an impact to your face for three or four weeks. Contact sports, games played with a ball, or activities requiring a helmet or chin-strap should be avoided.