Asian Facial Bone contouring

Benefits of Asian Facial Bone contouring

Facial bones form the foundation of the face on which the soft tissue envelope drapes. While much of facial cosmetic surgery focuses on the soft tissue element — with procedures such as a facelift or brow lift — changing the soft tissue alone without changing the underlying hard skeleton has limitations in terms of how much a patient’s appearance can be altered. Shaping of the underlying skeletal structures can at times bring about dramatic facial feature changes that cannot occur through soft tissue manipulation.

For Asian patients, the goals of facial bone contouring commonly include:

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  Tapering the jaw angle 
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  Building up a small or receding chin
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  Refining a protruding chin
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  Creating a more pointed chin shape
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  Reducing large cheekbones
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  Adding balanced volume in the mid-face
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  Correcting an overbite or underbite
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  Narrowing the width of the face
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  Creating a more oval or heart-shaped facial profile

Bone contouring is an impactful form of plastic surgery because the facial skeleton is the foundation of the face. Changing the foundation, and not just the soft tissues, can achieve significant results.

What to Expect

In working with Asian patients, our plastic surgeons aim to create a cosmetic result that doesn’t eliminate all traces of your ethnic identity. The goal is not to erase a patient’s heritage, but rather to make adjustments that are more aligned with the patient’s aesthetic preferences.

The complexity of facial contouring surgery procedures is significant. Therefore, an individualised treatment plan is generated for each of our patients — because no two faces are alike. When you visit Asian Plastic Surgery for your consultation, your surgeon will take your entire face into consideration to establish a comprehensive surgical plan.

Recovery experiences can vary significantly from one person to another due to a multitude of factors. These include the specifics of your procedure, your body’s natural healing process, individual health conditions, age, lifestyle, skin quality and adherence to aftercare instructions.

This variability means that while we can provide general guidelines and average recovery timelines, your personal experience may differ. This information about bone contouring surgery recovery is a general overview and should not replace the personalised guidance you will receive during your consultations and postoperative care.

Key Recovery Expectations

‍Initial Downtime: 2-3 weeks
‍Full Recovery: up to 1 year for complete bone stabilisation and soft tissue adjustment
‍What to Expect: swelling, bruising, soreness, changes in sensation, drooling, temporary effects on speech and eating (particularly with jaw surgeries), nasal congestions, popping or clicking sounds
‍Activity: light activities can be resumed in the first week; but strenuous activities or physically demanding jobs should be avoided for 6-8 weeks
‍Medications: Pain medications, antibiotics, anti-nausea drugs will be prescribed and should be used as directed
‍Aftercare: avoid rubbing or putting pressure on your face; avoid bending over; avoid foods that require a lot of chewing; do not apply makeup or skincare in the area for at least 2 weeks; be careful around the incision sites when brushing your teeth
‍Sleeping: sleep with your head elevated and sit upright as much as possible to help minimise swelling
‍Garments: facial compression garments or bandages may be required to support healing and contouring
‍Incisions: instructions for cleaning and protecting any external incision sites will be provided
‍Scars: incisions are strategically placed for concealment; scars from intraoral incisions (inside the mouth) are not visible externally

It is critical to note that modifying one feature of the face may change the overall impression your appearance gives. Therefore, it is critical to have a thorough consultation with a qualified plastic surgeon who understands the unique anatomic structure of Asian patients. Ultimately, the procedure will be customised based on your individual needs.

Common Procedures

Cheekbone Reduction or Augmentation
Prominence of the cheekbones creates a wide, broad face. A plastic surgeon can reduce pronounced cheekbones using a combination of bone shaving and bone cutting techniques. The result is a more oval or heart-shaped face. For patients with the opposite concern — a flat mid-face — cheekbone augmentation can be achieved with an implant or a demineralised bone allograft. 

Jawline Reshaping
‍The jawbone can be very prominent in Asian populations, leading to a widened lower face or strong, defined jawline. The angle of the jaw can be softened to create a more delicate appearance. Several techniques are available to reshape the jaw from the frontal view as well as the side view. Jawline reduction is a cosmetic operation and is not intended to affect the ability to chew or speak. 

Chin Advancement or Reduction
‍Chin surgery (genioplasty) can accomplish various goals. It is commonly used to bring a receding chin forward, push a protruding chin back or adjust the chin horizontally to correct asymmetry. Reshaping the chin is done by repositioning the bone supporting the chin. For patients desiring chin augmentation, genioplasty is a permanent alternative to using a chin implant.

V-Line Surgery
‍ V-line surgery is a cosmetic procedure that combines chin surgery and jaw surgery to achieve a more slender and soft lower face shape. During V-line surgery, the bone is filed down and a portion of bone is removed. Adjustments are made through incisions inside the mouth, so there are no external scars. This procedure can significantly alter the shape of the face from square to oval by reducing jaw width and creating a sharper, more defined chin profile.

Facial Implants
Facial implants come in many sizes and shapes, and can even be custom-made for an individual patient. Chin implants can benefit patients who feel they have a ‘weak’ chin or square-faced patients who desire a more oval face shape. Jaw implants can be utilised to create a more angular or strong jawline. Cheek implants increase the projection of the mid-face and add volume to areas that appear recessed or flat. These are the most common areas to enhance with facial implants.

Two-Jaw Surgery
Two-jaw surgery, or double jaw surgery, is a corrective procedure that addresses both aesthetic and functional skeletal issues. Candidates for this operation may have a protruding jaw, an abnormally long face or chin, an abnormal bite, sleep apnea, facial pain or reduced jaw function. Two-jaw surgery can also help create a slimmer, v-shaped facial bone structure. Because the procedure reshapes the jawbones themselves, it can be applied to a wide range of issues pertaining to the two jaws and how they interact with one another.

Making an Informed Decision

Undergoing plastic surgery is a significant decision that should be made only after careful consideration of all aspects involved, including the potential risks and complications. 

General Risks and Complications

There are general risks and complications that apply to most plastic surgery procedures. These are discussed in detail on our Risks and Complications page.

Specific Risks and Complications

In addition to those that apply generally to plastic surgery, each individual procedure comes with its own specific risks and complications. For Asian facial bone contouring, these may include: 

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  Infection
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  Implant displacement
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  Bleeding or haematoma
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  Implant rejection
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  Prolonged swelling
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  Asymmetry or contour irregularities
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  Scarring
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  Changes in skin sensation
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  Nerve damage

Next Steps

Request a consultation at Asian Plastic Surgery for a detailed discussion of these considerations. One of our specialist plastic surgeons will conduct a thorough risk assessment based on your individual factors and outline the measures that can be taken to minimise these risks. Our entire team are here to support your decision-making process, providing all the information you need to make well-informed choices about your care.