Genioplasty: Before and After, and a Moved Chin on Your Own Face
A genioplasty moves the chin bone itself — forward, back, up, down or sideways. Here is how a sliding genioplasty works, the types, when surgeons choose it over an implant, what it costs and what recovery is commonly like — plus a render of a repositioned chin on your own photo.
Genioplasty simulator — example render
- Type
- Bone surgery, permanent
- Typical US cost
- Roughly $6,000–$12,000
- Recovery
- 2–3 weeks of significant swelling
- Final result
- After several months
- Upload one front-facing photo
- The render changes the position of your chin bone — and leaves the rest of your face alone
- Compare your before and after side by side
1 render = 1 credit
5 credits $4.99, no subscription · or Starter $7.99/month for 10. The face analysis is free.
What is a genioplasty?
A genioplasty is chin surgery that reshapes the chin by cutting and repositioning the bone, rather than adding something on top of it. The most common form is the sliding (osseous) genioplasty. Because it moves the skeleton, it can change the chin's height and correct asymmetry as well as projection — things an implant or filler cannot do.
The names overlap. Mentoplasty is used for chin surgery in general, including implants; genioplasty is most often used for bone surgery; and some clinics call everything chin augmentation. When comparing quotes or before and after photos, check which operation is actually meant.
Sliding genioplasty: how the chin bone is moved
- Incision inside the mouth, in the groove between the lower lip and the gums, so there is no visible scar.
- A horizontal cut through the chin bone, below the roots of the lower teeth and the nerves that supply the lip.
- The segment is moved — forward, back, up, down, or rotated — by the distance planned beforehand, often from profile photos and X-rays or a CT scan.
- Fixation with small plates and screws, which usually stay in place permanently.
- The incision is closed with dissolving stitches; a supportive dressing or tape is common afterwards.
It is typically done under general anesthesia, on its own or alongside a rhinoplasty or jaw surgery. A genioplasty alone works below the teeth, so it does not change the bite — bite correction is orthognathic jaw surgery, a larger operation.
Types of genioplasty
| Type | What moves | Commonly used for |
|---|---|---|
| Advancement genioplasty | Chin segment forward | A recessed chin; the most common type |
| Reduction (setback) genioplasty | Chin segment back, or bone removed | A chin that projects too far |
| Vertical reduction | A wedge of bone removed to shorten the chin | A long lower face |
| Vertical lengthening | Segment moved down, gap filled with graft | A short lower face |
| Asymmetry correction | Segment shifted or rotated sideways | A chin that sits off-center |
| Widening or narrowing | Segment split and spread, or a central strip removed | A chin that looks too narrow or too broad |
| Jumping genioplasty | Segment placed in front of the bone | Large advancement in one step |
Genioplasty for men
Genioplasty for men usually means advancement, often with some widening or squaring for a broader chin that carries the jawline forward.
Genioplasty for women and facial feminization
For women, reduction and narrowing genioplasty are common alongside advancement, aiming for a smaller, tapered chin. Chin reduction and narrowing are also a standard part of facial feminization surgery.
Genioplasty before and after: reading the photos
Genioplasty before and after photos are harder to read than implant photos, because the change can be in more than one direction. An advancement shows in profile; a vertical change shows from the front, as a longer or shorter lower face.
- Ask for both profile and front views, and imaging if the surgeon uses it — each shows a different part of the change.
- Check the head position. A head tilted up projects the chin; tilted down shortens the lower face.
- Check the timing. Swelling lasts weeks, and photos at one month are not the final shape.
- Check the lips. Lower lip position often changes with the chin, and a relaxed lip in the after frame can look like part of the result.
Genioplasty vs chin implant: when bone surgery is chosen
Both add projection. Surgeons choose between them on how much the chin needs to move and in which direction.
| Sliding genioplasty | Chin implant | |
|---|---|---|
| What changes | The bone itself is repositioned | An implant is added on the bone |
| Directions | Forward, back, up, down, sideways | Mainly forward, some width |
| Asymmetry and height | Can correct | Cannot correct |
| Foreign material | Plates and screws only | The implant |
| Surgery and recovery | Larger operation, longer swelling | Smaller operation, shorter recovery |
| Undoing it | Not reversible | Implant can be removed |
For modest forward projection alone, surgeons often consider an implant the simpler option — see the chin augmentation page. A genioplasty is chosen for what an implant cannot do: chins that need to move back, shorten, lengthen or straighten, or very large advancements. Chin filler is the temporary way to try added projection first.
Before — generatedAfter — simulatedSee a genioplasty on your own face
Run this simulationGenioplasty recovery: swelling, numbness and diet
| When | What is commonly reported |
|---|---|
| First week | Marked swelling and tightness; liquid or soft diet; careful mouth hygiene around the incision |
| Weeks 2–3 | Most of the significant swelling settles; many people return to desk work |
| Weeks 4–6 | Normal diet usually resumes; exercise restrictions are commonly eased |
| Months 3–6 | Residual swelling resolves and the final shape emerges; sensation continues to recover |
Numbness of the lower lip and chin is a common and expected part of recovery, because the nerve that supplies them runs close to the cut. It usually improves over weeks to months; numbness that does not fully recover is less common but documented.
Is genioplasty risky? Commonly reported complications
A sliding genioplasty is a long-established operation, but it is bone surgery under general anesthesia and has real risks. The ones surgeons commonly discuss include:
- Altered sensation of the lower lip and chin — usually temporary, occasionally persistent.
- Asymmetry or a visible step at the edges of the cut along the jawline.
- Infection, and occasionally plates that can be felt or need removing later.
- Soft tissue changes — the chin's soft tissue does not always follow the bone exactly, and a sagging soft-tissue chin is a described complication.
- Over- or under-correction, which may need revision.
- Injury to tooth roots — rare, and the reason the cut is made well below them.
Genioplasty cost and sliding genioplasty prices
A genioplasty is commonly quoted at roughly $6,000–$12,000 in the United States, and higher when combined with jaw surgery or rhinoplasty. Sliding genioplasty cost depends on the surgeon, the city, whether it is done in a hospital or surgery center, anesthesia, and imaging and planning.
A purely cosmetic genioplasty is generally not covered by insurance. When a genioplasty is part of jaw surgery for a functional problem, coverage for that part is sometimes considered — a question for the surgeon's office and the insurer. Lower prices abroad are one reason genioplasty cost is searched; this page does not recommend destinations.
Genioplasty simulator: see a repositioned chin on your own face
The genioplasty simulation renders the chin clearly advanced for a stronger profile and a cleaner jaw-to-neck line, keeping the rest of your face as it is. It is a way to see whether a more forward chin suits your face before a surgical consultation.
It renders one direction — forward. It does not simulate reduction, shortening, lengthening or asymmetry correction, and a front photo is the least informative view of an advancement. The facial thirds calculator measures the height of your lower third, the part a vertical genioplasty changes and this render does not.
See whether your lower third measures short, long or balanced before talking about which way a chin should move.
Measure your facial thirdsQuestions to ask your surgeon before a genioplasty
- In which directions and by how much would you move my chin, and can you show me the plan in profile and from the front?
- How often do your genioplasty patients have numbness that lasts beyond the first months?
- Would a chin implant achieve what I want with less recovery — and if not, why not in my case?
Alternatives to genioplasty
How the genioplasty simulation works
Your photo is analysed for the landmarks that matter to this procedure, and the render changes the position of your chin bone while leaving the rest of your face alone. That constraint is the hard part — a generic image model will happily redraw your whole face and hand you a stranger who looks better.
The render adjusts the chin outline in a front photograph. A genioplasty is planned from a profile and often from imaging; a front render is the least informative view of it.
It is an illustration of a plausible direction, not a prediction of your result and not a medical opinion. What it is genuinely good for is finding out whether you want the change at all — plenty of people render one, find the difference smaller than they imagined, and stop there.
Measure your face before a genioplasty simulation
The free analysis tools measure symmetry, facial proportion and face shape, and tell you which measurements sit outside the reference range. Choosing a procedure from that is a much better starting point than choosing one from a photo you saved.
Genioplasty simulator — frequently asked questions
How long does a genioplasty last?
It is permanent. The bone heals in its new position, and the plates and screws usually stay in place for life unless they cause a problem.
Will genioplasty make my face longer?
Only if the plan lengthens it. A vertical lengthening genioplasty adds height to the lower face and a vertical reduction shortens it; an advancement mainly moves the chin forward, which can make the lower face look slightly longer in profile.
What is the best age for genioplasty?
Surgeons generally wait until facial growth is complete, which is usually late teens or later. Adults have genioplasty well into later life; health and bone quality matter more than a specific age.
How painful is genioplasty?
Most people describe swelling, tightness and soreness more than severe pain, commonly managed with prescribed pain relief in the first week. Numbness in the lip and chin often makes the area feel less painful than expected.
Is genioplasty the same as jaw surgery?
No. A genioplasty moves only the chin segment below the teeth and does not change the bite. Orthognathic jaw surgery moves the tooth-bearing jaws to correct the bite and is a larger operation, though the two are sometimes done together.
Is the genioplasty simulator free?
The face analysis is free and needs no account. A rendered simulation costs credits because it runs on a GPU — $4.99 buys five and does not require a subscription.
How accurate is an AI genioplasty simulation?
It is an illustration of a plausible outcome, not a prediction of your result. Real outcomes depend on your anatomy, the facial plastic or oral and maxillofacial surgeon and how you respond. Treat it as a conversation starter for a consultation, not a promise.
Do you keep my photo?
The free measurements never leave your browser. A simulation does send the photo to a rendering service, which is why it asks for explicit consent first, and you can delete the result from your dashboard at any time.
Can I show this to a facial plastic or oral and maxillofacial surgeon?
Yes, and that is the most useful thing to do with it. Bringing a picture of the direction you want is far more precise than describing it in words.
Other jaw & chin simulations
This page is not medical advice and we are not clinicians. A simulation cannot tell you whether a procedure is appropriate for you, what it costs, or what the risks are. Those questions belong with a qualified facial plastic or oral and maxillofacial surgeon.