If your jawline looks soft in photos, the cause may be your neck, your chin, or both. A neck lift tightens loose skin and muscle, but the neck can only look as defined as the structure supporting it, and a recessed chin shortens that support. For many patients, the most balanced profile is achieved by pairing a neck lift in Beverly Hills with chin augmentation.
Dr. Behrooz Torkian is well-positioned to evaluate this relationship. He is double board-certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and in Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery), a specialty grounded in neck anatomy. He has also presented on rhinoplasty and the facial profile at multiple UC Irvine rhinoplasty courses. In this blog, he explains how the chin and neck work together and when treating both makes sense.
What Makes a Balanced Facial Profile?
A balanced facial profile is one in which the nose, lips, chin, jawline, and neck relate to each other in proportion. In 1980, plastic surgeons Ellenbogen and Karlin outlined the features of an aesthetic neck, and later authors added forward chin projection as another important factor.
Those features include:
- A cervicomental angle (where the under-chin area meets the neck) of roughly 105 to 120 degrees
- A well-defined jawline
- A visible front border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle along the side of the neck
- A slight depression below the hyoid bone and a visible thyroid cartilage
- Adequate forward projection of the chin
Nobody needs to match every measurement to look attractive, and ideals vary with gender, ethnicity, and personal preference. These features simply explain why a profile can look "off" even when each feature seems fine on its own.
How to Tell Whether Your Chin, Your Neck, or Both Need Attention
The clearest way to tell whether your chin or your neck is behind a soft profile is to look at what each structure is doing. Because a recessed chin and an aging neck produce overlapping signs, separating them is the first step Dr. Torkian takes at consultation.
Chin-related signs include:
- A chin that sits behind the line of the lower lip
- A short distance from chin to neck
- A jawline that fades before it reaches the front of the face
- Volume loss in the area just in front of the jowls
Clinically, a chin that lacks forward projection is referred to as microgenia or retrogenia (source). Many people are born with this structure, so it is not only an aging concern.
Neck-related signs look different. Aging in the neck can involve (source):
- Skin laxity and wrinkling
- Weakened muscle tone that forms visible platysmal bands
- Loss of jawline contour
- Fat accumulating beneath the chin
A recessed chin can also make a neck look fuller than it is, so many patients have a combination of both.
Why a Neck Lift Alone May Not Complete Your Profile
A neck lift alone may not complete your profile when the chin lacks the projection to support the result. Think of the chin as a tent pole: a neck lift can tighten the fabric, but a short pole still leaves the fabric sloping instead of forming a crisp angle.
Depending on the patient, a neck lift can:
- Tighten the platysma muscle
- Remove excess fat beneath the chin
- Redrape loose skin
None of those steps changes the structure at the front of the jaw, so the cervicomental angle can stay softer than the patient hoped. For that reason, Dr. Torkian evaluates the entire lower face rather than the neck in isolation.
Interest in this kind of comprehensive planning is growing. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, neck lifts increased by 21 percent in 2025, and the society observed that patients are increasingly addressing sagging, volume loss, and aging as a whole rather than one feature at a time (source).
How Chin Augmentation Supports Neck Lift Results
Chin augmentation supports neck lift results by adding structure at the front of the jawline, giving the tightened neck skin a stronger point to drape from. The StatPearls reference on chin augmentation notes that the procedure can significantly improve facelift outcomes by lengthening the jawline and providing a more stable framework for repositioned soft tissue (source).
Dr. Torkian performs chin augmentation with an implant placed through one of two approaches:
- An incision inside the mouth: This approach leaves no visible scar.
- An incision beneath the chin: This external incision is very small, about half an inch long.
Because neck lifts often use a small incision under the chin as well, the two procedures can frequently be planned together.
Implant selection matters as much as placement. The appropriate implant type and size are determined through a comprehensive assessment of each patient's anatomy. The goal is a chin that looks like it has always belonged to your face, in proportion with your nose, lips, and neck.
Combining a Neck Lift and Chin Augmentation in Beverly Hills
Combining a neck lift with chin augmentation in Beverly Hills starts with a consultation focused on your full profile. Dr. Torkian examines skin quality, fat distribution, muscle tone, and skeletal structure, then uses Canfield Vectra 3D imaging and Sculptor software to simulate how different changes might look from every angle.
Both procedures can typically be performed in a single surgery at The Lasky Clinic's AAAHC-accredited surgery center, which has three operating rooms and is located directly next to Dr. Torkian's office. Treating both areas together means one recovery period instead of two.
Recovery varies by patient and plan. After chin augmentation, patients can generally expect:
- Some swelling and bruising around the incision site in the first days after surgery
- A return to full jaw function within about two weeks
- Gradual resolution of remaining swelling over the following several weeks
Dr. Torkian provides a procedure-specific recovery guide covering eating, oral care, activity, and follow-up visits.
Find the Right Profile Plan With Dr. Torkian in Beverly Hills
The best candidates for combined chin and neck surgery have both an underprojected chin and visible neck changes, such as loose skin, fullness, or banding. They are generally healthy, have realistic expectations, and want a more defined profile that still looks like their own.
Not every patient needs both procedures, and some need a different plan entirely. Chin implants are generally not advised for patients with insufficient vertical chin height or a retruded jaw linked to dental malocclusion, which may call for a bite evaluation instead (source). Depending on your anatomy, Dr. Torkian may recommend:
- Neck liposuction for fat under the chin when skin elasticity is good
- Kybella, an FDA-approved injectable for moderate to severe fullness under the chin
- Dermal fillers to subtly enhance the chin when projection concerns are mild
- Rhinoplasty, since the nose and chin are judged together in profile and chin implants may be indicated in up to 25 percent of cosmetic rhinoplasty cases
- A facelift alongside neck and chin work when jowls or midface descent are involved
Dr. Torkian's double board certification in facial plastic surgery and head and neck surgery, his AAFPRS fellowship, and his role as an Assistant Clinical Professor at UC Irvine inform every plan he creates. He discusses these options openly and recommends only the procedures that suit your anatomy.
If you are considering a neck lift in Beverly Hills and wondering whether your chin plays a role, schedule a consultation with Dr. Torkian. With Vectra 3D imaging, you can see your profile from every angle and make a confident, informed decision.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with a board-certified facial plastic surgeon. Outcomes, risks, and suitability vary from patient to patient.
Sources
- Brazilian Journal of Plastic Surgery (RBCP). Review of neck aging and aesthetic neck criteria, citing Ellenbogen R, Karlin JV, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 1980. https://scielo.br/j/rbcp/a/wVMRLrVWff4vWSnWKJfrnVq/?lang=en
- Harris WC, Winters R, Raggio BS. "Facial Chin Augmentation." StatPearls, National Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32119393/
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "Lift Procedures Led Growth as Demand for Restoration Drove Plastic Surgery in 2025." https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/press-releases/lift-procedures-led-growth-as-demand-for-restoration-drove-plastic-surgery-in-2025-new-asps-report-reveals
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "2025 Plastic Surgery by the Numbers." https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/articles/2025-plastic-surgery-by-the-numbers-what-are-the-trends-in-plastic-surgery-and-what-it-means-for-you
