Age-Based Procedures
in Austin, TX

Rhinoplasty and Genioplasty for All Ages

The conditions and shapes of the structures addressed by these procedures are largely the result of genetic influence on development. Additionally, in the case of the nose, traumatic events also can play a role in creating an appearance that a patient wants to change. Thus, independent of one’s age, the shape or size of one’s nose may compel him or her to choose to have a rhinoplasty. Similarly, the chin may be too small or too large for one’s taste, and thus, interest in a genioplasty or chin implant may arise at many ages.

Nose and Chin Surgery for Teenagers

Rhinoplasty is one of the cosmetic procedures routinely performed on teenagers. For it to be appropriate, the individual must be skeletally mature for the facial structures to have reached near-adult size and emotionally mature enough to handle surgery that alters their appearance. Thus, the minimum age for girls is generally 13 years old, and the minimum age for boys is usually 14 years old. However, a determination of appropriateness needs to be made for each patient.

Nose and Chin Surgery for Older Patients

There are other age considerations for rhinoplasty and genioplasty at the upper end of the age spectrum. Rhinoplasty often involves osteotomies, which are controlled fractures precisely placed in nasal bones to control shape. Said another way, the nose is intentionally broken. Older people can have thinner and more brittle bones. This means when rhinoplasty is performed for an older individual, special attention must be paid to osteotomies and, in some individuals, may need to be avoided.

The issue of decreased bone stock and increased brittleness has impacts on decision-making for cosmetic surgery of the chin. Osteoplastic genioplasty involves cutting the chin bone and moving it forward. In people older than 50, consideration is given to forgoing this procedure and, instead, adding projection with a chin implant. Porous polyethylene chin implants come in a wide array of shapes and sizes and, thus, offer a lot of versatility. Additionally, the material behaves like a firm plastic sponge. It maintains its shape but can be carved with a scalpel during surgery and customized to the patient’s needs.

Nose and Chin Surgery for Middle-Aged Patients

For patients in their late 30s, 40s, and 50s who have a small chin and a sagging neck, a genioplasty or a chin implant in combination with liposuction below the jawline and in the upper neck can have the same effect as a neck lift.