Chin Implant and Genioplasty Recovery and Aftercare

Chin implant recovery is relatively quick: swelling peaks in the first few days, most people are back at desk work within 7–10 days, and the result settles over about three months. Sliding genioplasty, where the chin bone itself is moved, has a longer recovery because the bone needs around six weeks to heal.

Chin augmentation covers two different operations. A chin implant places a shaped silicone implant over the chin bone without cutting it. A sliding genioplasty cuts the lower part of the chin bone, moves it and fixes it with a small titanium plate and screws. Both are day cases at Centre for Surgery. Implants are usually placed under local anaesthetic, with sedation if you wish, or TIVA (total intravenous anaesthesia) when combined with other surgery; genioplasty is done under TIVA. Our guide to anaesthesia for cosmetic surgery explains the options, and our recovery after cosmetic surgery hub covers advice that applies to every operation. If you are still weighing up your options, start with our guide to solutions for a receding chin.

How Long Is Chin Implant Recovery?

Chin implant recovery time depends mainly on which technique you have:

• Chin implant: back to desk work at 7–10 days, swelling largely gone by two weeks, full exercise from about four weeks, contact sports from six weeks, and the final result at around three months.
• Sliding genioplasty: back to desk work at 10–14 days, a liquid then soft diet for one to two weeks, full activity at six to eight weeks once the bone has healed, and the final result at three to six months.

A chin implant adds projection and shape without touching the bone, so recovery is about soft tissue swelling settling. A sliding genioplasty can move the chin forward, back, down or sideways, so it suits larger corrections, a long or asymmetric chin, or a chin that also needs shortening. Neither is better in every case. A 2026 systematic review of 56 studies and 4,844 patients ↗ found that both implants and genioplasty produced lasting improvements in chin projection with high satisfaction, and that no single technique was clearly superior^[1]. Your surgeon recommends the technique that suits your anatomy, not the one with the shortest recovery.

How to Prepare for Chin Surgery Recovery

Stop smoking and all nicotine products at least four weeks before and four weeks after surgery; your surgeon may advise longer before bone surgery. Smokers have roughly twice the rate of delayed wound healing and more wound infections than non-smokers^[2], and an incision inside the mouth is particularly vulnerable.

• Blood thinners: stop aspirin two weeks before surgery, and supplements such as fish oil, vitamin E and turmeric as advised. Only stop prescribed medicines on medical advice.
• Getting home: a responsible adult must take you home and stay with you for 24 hours.
• At home: stock up on soups, smoothies, yoghurt and other soft food, have extra pillows ready, and choose button-up or zip tops so nothing is pulled over your chin.

Chin Implant Recovery Timeline: Day by Day and Week by Week

Timings vary with the technique, the incision and how your tissues heal, so always follow your own surgeon’s instructions.

Day of surgery

You go home the same day from our CQC-regulated Baker Street hospital. The chin is usually supported with tape or a chin strap, which helps hold the implant in position and limits swelling. The Royal College of Anaesthetists’ advice for the person looking after you ↗ explains what the first 24 hours involve. You are given your surgeon’s direct number for the first 24 hours on your discharge summary.

Days 1–3

Swelling, bruising and tightness around the chin, lower lip and jaw build up and usually peak on day 2 or 3. The lower lip and chin often feel numb or tingly. Keep your head raised, use cold compresses, rest and take short walks around the house. Talking and smiling can feel stiff.

Days 4–7

Swelling starts to come down and bruising begins to fade, sometimes tracking down onto the neck. Any tape or strap is usually removed at your first review, along with any stitches that need removing; stitches inside the mouth usually dissolve.

Week 2

Most of the visible swelling has settled after a chin implant, and most people are back at desk work by 7–10 days. After genioplasty, most people return to work at 10–14 days and move from liquids to a soft diet. Walking is encouraged; avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise.

Weeks 3–4

The chin looks increasingly natural and you can usually eat normally after an implant. Most people with an implant are cleared for full exercise from about four weeks.

Weeks 6–8

After genioplasty, the bone has usually healed by about six weeks, and full activity resumes at six to eight weeks. Contact sports and anything that risks a knock to the chin wait until at least six weeks after an implant, and six to eight weeks after genioplasty.

3–6 months

The last of the swelling settles and numbness continues to improve. The final result is usually visible at around three months after an implant and three to six months after genioplasty.

Sliding Genioplasty Recovery: What’s Different?

Sliding genioplasty recovery follows the same pattern but takes longer, because the chin bone has to heal in its new position.

• Diet: a liquid diet for the first few days, then soft food for one to two weeks, avoiding biting into hard food with your front teeth until your surgeon says so.
• Mouth care: the incision is inside the lower lip, so rinse with the mouthwash or salt water you are advised to use after eating, and brush the teeth carefully around the stitches.
• Numbness: numbness of the lower lip and chin is the most common side effect after genioplasty, because the nerves that supply them run close to the bone cut. In a randomised trial of 26 patients it had resolved in both groups by six months^[3]. The NHS patient information on genioplasty from Cambridge University Hospitals ↗ notes that it can take several months to go and, in a small number of people, may not recover completely.
• Swelling: more swelling than after an implant, worst on days 2–3, with most gone by about two weeks and the last traces taking several months.

Chin Implant Swelling and Bruising: What’s Normal?

Swelling and bruising are expected parts of chin implant recovery, not signs of a problem. They peak in the first few days and then improve steadily, with most swelling settled by two weeks after an implant. A small amount of firmness and swelling, often only noticeable to you, can last a few months, which is why the chin may look slightly larger or squarer than planned at first. Bruising can spread down to the neck as it fades.

How to reduce bruising and swelling

• Use a cold compress wrapped in a cloth for about 10 minutes at a time, with breaks, in the first two to three days.
• Keep your head raised on extra pillows or in a recliner for the first one to two weeks, and avoid sleeping on your side or front.
• Take short walks daily to help circulation, without straining.
• Avoid aspirin, anti-inflammatory painkillers, blood-thinning supplements and alcohol unless your surgeon advises otherwise.
• Keep salt and caffeine low and drink plenty of water, as salt encourages fluid retention.

Submental vs Intraoral Incision: Does It Affect Recovery?

A chin implant can be placed through one of two incisions, and the choice changes a few practical details of the first week.

• Submental incision: a short cut in the natural crease under the chin. It does not affect eating or brushing your teeth, and leaves a small scar that usually fades well.
• Intraoral incision: made inside the lower lip, so there is no visible scar, but you need a liquid or soft diet for the first days and mouth rinses after eating to keep the wound clean.

Both approaches are safe, with small differences. A 2023 systematic review of more than 3,100 chin implant patients ↗ found that implants placed through the mouth were removed slightly more often (1.5% vs 0.5%) but sat asymmetrically less often (0.7% vs 7.5%) than those placed from under the chin, and silicone implants had the lowest rate of numbness (0.4%)^[4]. Genioplasty is always done through the mouth. Your surgeon will discuss which approach suits you at consultation.

Is Chin Implant Recovery Painful?

Most people describe chin implant recovery as uncomfortable rather than painful: tightness, a stretched feeling, soreness when chewing or smiling and numbness, at their worst in the first three days and much better by the end of the first week. Simple painkillers taken as directed are usually enough. Genioplasty is usually a little more uncomfortable at first because the bone has been cut, but this is still controlled with the painkillers you are prescribed. Pain that is getting worse rather than better should be checked.

What to Eat After Chin Implant Surgery

• Implant through an incision under the chin: soft food for the first few days because chewing feels stiff, then your normal diet as comfortable.
• Implant through the mouth, or genioplasty: liquids such as smoothies, soups and protein shakes for the first few days, then soft food such as eggs, yoghurt, mashed potato and flaky fish for one to two weeks. Rinse after eating as advised.

Protein, fruit and vegetables support healing. Keep salt low to limit swelling, avoid very hot food and drink while your lip is numb so you do not burn it, and avoid drinking through a straw if you have stitches inside the mouth unless your surgeon says it is fine.

When Can I Exercise After Chin Implant Surgery?

Raising your blood pressure too soon can increase swelling and bleeding, and a knock to the chin in the first weeks can move an implant or disturb healing bone.

• Weeks 1–2: walking only, increasing gradually. No lifting, bending or straining.
• Weeks 3–4: light cardio. After an implant, most people return to full exercise and weights from about four weeks.
• Weeks 6–8: contact sports and anything that risks a blow to the chin from six weeks after an implant, and six to eight weeks after genioplasty, once your surgeon is happy.

Our guide to exercising after cosmetic surgery explains how to build back up safely.

Numbness and Sensation Changes After Chin Augmentation

Temporary numbness or tingling of the chin, lower lip and sometimes the lower gums is common after chin surgery. It happens because the mental nerves, which supply feeling to the lip and chin, are stretched or bruised during surgery. It is more frequent and lasts longer after genioplasty than after an implant. For most people, feeling returns gradually over weeks to months^[3]. While your lip is numb, take care with hot drinks and check your lip after eating, as you may not notice food on it. Raise any numbness that worries you, or that is not improving, at your follow-up review.

Chin Implant Aftercare: Dos and Don’ts

Do

• Sleep with your head raised for the first one to two weeks.
• Keep any tape or chin strap on exactly as advised.
• Keep incisions clean, and use mouth rinses after eating if your incision is inside the mouth.
• Limit big facial movements, such as wide grins and vigorous chewing, for the first two to three weeks.
• Attend every follow-up appointment so your surgeon can check healing.

Don’t

• Smoke, vape or use nicotine for at least four weeks after surgery.
• Drink alcohol in the first week or while taking strong painkillers.
• Press on your chin, rest it on your hand or sleep face down.
• Bend over, lift or strain in the first two weeks.
• Add over-the-counter medicines without checking with your surgical team.

Combining Chin Augmentation With Other Procedures

Chin augmentation is often combined with other facial procedures, because chin projection changes how the nose and neck look in profile. With a rhinoplasty, the combined recovery follows the nose; our rhinoplasty recovery guide sets out that timeline. Where fullness under the chin is part of the problem, chin liposuction is often added, which adds little to recovery; see our chin liposuction recovery guide. With a neck lift, expect the longer neck lift recovery. A combined operation means one recovery rather than two, following whichever procedure takes longest.

If you are not sure whether the chin or the jaw angle is the issue, our guide to jaw implants vs chin implants explains the difference, and our male chin surgery page covers chin implants for men.

When to Contact Your Surgeon After Chin Implant Surgery

Serious problems after chin augmentation are uncommon. A 2025 meta-analysis found complication rates of under 3% for silicone chin implants^[5]. Infection is the main concern with an implant: in a 2024 study comparing 38 genioplasties with 42 chin implants ↗, infection was more common in the implant group, while lasting nerve changes were similar between the two^[6]. Contact your surgical team straight away if you have:

• swelling, redness, heat or pain that is getting worse rather than better
• a temperature, or discharge from the incision or inside the mouth
• sudden, tense swelling on one side, or bleeding that does not stop with gentle pressure
• a stitch line inside the mouth that opens, or an implant you can feel moving or that looks out of place
• a painful, swollen calf or breathlessness (call 999 for chest pain or difficulty breathing)

For the first 24 hours, call your surgeon on the direct number on your discharge summary. After that, call the clinic on 020 7993 4849, 9am–6pm Monday to Saturday, and NHS 111 out of hours, or 999 in an emergency. Our guide to cosmetic surgery risks explains which problems are expected and which are rare.

Chin Implant and Genioplasty Recovery FAQs

Chin Augmentation in London

Chin augmentation at Centre for Surgery is performed by GMC-registered surgeons at our CQC-regulated Baker Street hospital, rated Good overall by the CQC. The consultant who assesses you at consultation is the consultant who performs your surgery, and they will look at your whole profile, including the nose, jaw and neck, before recommending an implant, a sliding genioplasty or another approach; our guide to the causes of a weak chin explains what they assess. You have follow-up reviews as you heal. Your initial consultation is £100, redeemable against the cost of surgery if you go ahead, and finance is available, subject to status.

Phone: 020 7993 4849 | Address: 95–97 Baker Street, Marylebone, London W1U 6RN
Contact us to schedule a consultation

References

1. Alwathnani YK, Alkhwildi LA, Almathami AA, et al. Surgical vs non-surgical chin augmentation: a systematic review of techniques, satisfaction, and complications. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2026;50(11):4292–4314. doi:10.1007/s00266-026-05611-x
2. Sørensen LT. Wound healing and infection in surgery: the clinical impact of smoking and smoking cessation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Surgery 2012;147(4):373–383. doi:10.1001/archsurg.2012.5
3. Wang X, Chen XP, Zhao QM, et al. Effect of concentrated growth factor on lower lip hypoesthesia after osseous genioplasty: a prospective, split-mouth, double-blind randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 2022;51(8):1050–1054. doi:10.1016/j.ijom.2021.10.011
4. Liao CD, Rodriguez E, Zhao K, et al. Complications following alloplastic chin augmentation: a systematic review of implant materials and surgical techniques. Annals of Plastic Surgery 2023;90(6S Suppl 5):S515–S520. doi:10.1097/SAP.0000000000003423
5. Abdulaziz MKB, Kamal M, Kolaityte V, et al. Complications of alloplastic facial skeletal implants in aesthetic surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery 2025;107:5–18. doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2025.04.042
6. Tabrizi R, Behnia P, Kavianipour M, et al. Osseous genioplasty versus chin implants: early complications and patient satisfaction. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 2024;53(2):141–145. doi:10.1016/j.ijom.2023.03.017