Chin feminization reshapes the front of the lower jaw to make it shorter, narrower and rounder. Depending on how much change is needed, it is done by shaving the bone surface or by cutting the chin segment free, reshaping it and fixing it back in a new position.
Chin height and shape are among the most consistently sex-dimorphic parts of the facial skeleton. A male chin is typically taller, wider and squarer at the front, with a flatter profile; a female chin is shorter, narrower and more tapered.
How much does chin feminization cost in 2026?
Typical market ranges for surgeon, anaesthesia and facility fees. Indicative figures, not quotes.
| Country | Typical range | Approx. in EUR |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $11,000 – $21,000 | €10,000 – €19,000 |
| Canada | C$14,000 – C$25,000 | €9,500 – €17,000 |
| United Kingdom | £7,700 – £13,700 | €9,000 – €16,000 |
| Turkey (Hetzner Health partner surgeons) | €2,200 – €3,800 | €2,200 – €3,800 |
| Usually included | Usually extra |
|---|---|
| Surgeon’s fee and surgical team | Flights to and from Turkey |
| General anaesthesia and anaesthetist | Hotel nights beyond the planned stay |
| One night in hospital | Jaw contouring, if added (see V-line) |
| 3D CT or cone-beam scan and virtual planning | Lip lift or other soft-tissue work |
| Titanium plates and screws where a genioplasty is performed | Orthodontic treatment, if your bite needs it |
| Chin support dressing, antibiotics and medication | Travel insurance |
| Transfers and interpreter for every appointment | Revision surgery, if it is ever needed |
About these figures: indicative ranges for budgeting, not an offer. A real price follows review of your scan. See our Medical Disclaimer.
What does chin feminization change?
| Feature | Typical starting point | Feminization goal |
|---|---|---|
| Chin height | Tall, lengthening the lower third of the face | Shortened by 3–8 mm |
| Chin width | Broad and square across the front | Narrowed, tapering to a soft point |
| Front shape | Flat plane with defined corners | Rounded, with the corners softened |
| Profile projection | Strong forward projection, or a flat ledge | Balanced against nose and lips |
| Mentolabial fold | Deep crease between lip and chin | Softened |
| Lower facial thirds | Lower third dominant | Proportionate to the middle third |
Vertical height is the measurement to watch. Patients usually describe their chin as “too big”, but on examination the problem is most often that it is too long rather than too projecting. Reducing height changes the face more than reducing projection, and it is the part a chin implant cannot do.
Burring or sliding genioplasty?
| Burring (shaving) | Sliding genioplasty | |
|---|---|---|
| What is done | The outer bone surface is reduced with a burr | The chin segment is cut free, reshaped and re-fixed |
| Height reduction | Minimal | Up to 8 mm, sometimes more |
| Width reduction | 2–3 mm | Substantial, by removing a central strip |
| Can move the chin backwards or forwards | No | Yes |
| Fixation needed | None | Titanium plates and screws |
| Operating time | Shorter | 1–2 hours |
| Suits | Minor squaring or a small bony prominence | Most feminization cases |
| Risk to the nerve | Lower | Slightly higher, managed with planning |
Most transfeminine patients who want a visible change need a genioplasty. Burring alone is a reasonable choice for minor corner softening, but it will not shorten a long chin — a limitation worth confirming at consultation, since it is a quicker and cheaper operation to be offered.
Who is a good candidate?
| You are likely suitable if | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Your chin is tall or square in front view | Height and width are what this operation reduces |
| Your lower facial third looks long in proportion | Shortening rebalances the thirds |
| Your dental health is good | The incision is inside your mouth |
| Your bite is normal | Otherwise a different, larger operation may be indicated |
| You are in good general health and do not smoke | Nicotine raises infection risk in intraoral bone surgery |
| You can stay in Turkey 9–12 days | Wounds and swelling need review before you fly |
When should surgery be postponed or avoided?
- Untreated dental or gum disease, which must be resolved before intraoral bone surgery.
- An untreated bite discrepancy — if your teeth do not meet properly, chin surgery may camouflage rather than correct, and orthognathic surgery should at least be discussed.
- Roots of the lower teeth sitting unusually low on the scan, which may limit or contraindicate the osteotomy.
- Active temporomandibular joint disorder, which surgery and prolonged mouth opening can aggravate.
- Bleeding disorders or anticoagulant therapy, until managed.
- Ongoing nicotine use, including vapes and patches.
- Recent chin filler, which distorts assessment. Allow it to settle or be dissolved.
What preparation is needed?
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| At enquiry | Photographs front and strict profile, lips relaxed and apart |
| Before the quote | 3D CT or cone-beam scan showing tooth roots and the mental nerve, virtually planned |
| Before travel | Dental check-up and treatment of any active disease |
| 4+ weeks before | Stop smoking, vaping and all nicotine |
| 2 weeks before | Pause aspirin, anti-inflammatories, fish oil, vitamin E and ginkgo unless advised otherwise |
| 2 weeks before | No chin filler |
| 1–4 weeks before | Pause or adjust oestrogen if your surgeon requests it |
| On arrival in Turkey | Bloods, anaesthetic review, scan reviewed with you, plan confirmed |
How is the procedure performed?
- Virtual planning on the 3D scan maps the osteotomy line safely below the tooth roots and below the mental nerve on both sides.
- General anaesthesia is given; the operation takes one to two hours alone.
- An incision is made inside the lower lip, along the gum line, and the chin exposed while protecting the mental nerves where they emerge.
- For burring, the bone surface is reduced and the corners rounded.
- For a sliding genioplasty, a horizontal cut frees the chin segment. A wedge of bone is removed to shorten it, and a central strip removed to narrow it.
- The reshaped segment is repositioned — set back, brought forward or rotated as planned — and fixed with low-profile titanium plates.
- The transitions are smoothed into the adjacent jaw so no step is palpable.
- The muscle layer is carefully reattached — skipping this is what causes chin ptosis, or witch’s chin — and the incision closed with dissolving sutures.
What does recovery look like?
| Time | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Days 1–3 | Marked swelling of the chin and lower lip; numbness of the lip; liquid diet |
| Days 4–7 | Swelling peaks then eases; bruising may spread down the neck |
| Week 2 | Chin support tape usually discontinued; soft diet; talking easier |
| Weeks 2–3 | Back to desk work; swelling clearly reducing |
| Weeks 4–6 | Normal diet resumed; numbness beginning to improve |
| Weeks 6–8 | Most swelling gone; new shape recognisable |
| Months 3–6 | Final contour; sensation largely recovered |
Aftercare:
- Wear the chin support dressing or tape exactly as instructed — it supports the soft tissue while it reattaches to the new bone shape.
- Liquid diet for three to five days, soft diet for three to four weeks.
- Antiseptic mouthwash after every intake of food or drink.
- Sleep with your head elevated for two weeks.
- No strenuous exercise for four weeks; avoid any impact to the chin for eight weeks.
- Avoid wide mouth opening for four weeks, including dental treatment.
What are the risks and possible complications?
- Swelling of the chin and lower lip, universal and slow to settle
- Numbness of the lower lip, chin and gums from mental nerve stretch — common temporarily, uncommon permanently
- Chin ptosis (“witch’s chin”) — soft tissue sagging off the new bone shape when the muscle is not properly reattached
- Asymmetry of the new chin position
- Palpable plates or screws under thin skin
- Injury to a lower tooth root, uncommon with proper planning
- Infection, uncommon but relevant with intraoral incisions
- Non-union or loosening of the bone segment, rare
- Over-reduction, producing a weak or receding chin in profile
- Deepening or flattening of the crease between lip and chin
- Anaesthetic and thromboembolic risks common to any general anaesthetic
This list is not exhaustive. Seek urgent care for fever, spreading swelling, difficulty swallowing, heavy bleeding or pus from the mouth incision. Your individual risks belong in a documented consent discussion with the operating surgeon.
Can it be combined with other procedures?
| Combined with | Why it is often done together |
|---|---|
| Jaw feminization | Chin and jaw form one line; treating both avoids a mismatch at the junction |
| V-line surgery | The combined chin-and-jaw operation planned as a single taper |
| Rhinoplasty | Nose and chin projection are read together in profile and should be planned as a pair |
| Lip feminization | Both change the lower-face proportions in the same region |
| Tracheal shave | Adjacent site, minimal added recovery |
What results can you expect?
A shorter, narrower, softer chin, and a lower third of the face that no longer dominates. In profile, the chin sits in balance with the nose and lips rather than pushing forward as a flat plate.
The bone result is permanent and immediate; what takes months is the soft tissue draping over it. What the operation does not change is your bite, your jaw width or the skin under your chin.
On before-and-after photographs: each reflects that patient’s bone, nerve position, soft-tissue thickness and healing. They record one outcome, not a prediction.
How Hetzner Health arranges the process
- Online assessment — photographs front and strict profile reviewed by a partner surgeon.
- Imaging — 3D CT or cone-beam scan, virtually planned around your tooth roots and nerve position.
- Dental clearance — confirmed before intraoral bone surgery is scheduled.
- Written plan and quote — burring or genioplasty, millimetres of height and width reduction, whether jaw work should be added, inclusions listed.
- Travel — you book flights; we arrange hotel, transfers and an interpreter.
- Pre-operative day — bloods, anaesthetic review, scan reviewed with you and the plan confirmed.
- Surgery and one hospital night, with a coordinator reachable throughout.
- Before you fly — wound check, written aftercare and diet plan.
- After you are home — remote review at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, with the contour judged at three to six months.
Before you decide: this page is general information and does not replace an examination. How much chin height can be removed depends on where your tooth roots and nerve sit, and only your own scan can answer that.