Jaw plastic surgery in Korea most often means reducing a square mandible: trimming the flared jaw angle, thinning the outer layer of bone and, when the chin is wide, narrowing it. The cuts are made through incisions inside the mouth under general anesthesia, so no outer scar is expected. Planning starts from a CT scan that shows bone thickness and the nerve canal running through the jaw. Swelling is heavy in the first days and settles over weeks, while the final outline takes months. Numbness of the lower lip, unplanned fracture, asymmetry and soft-tissue sagging are the risks to discuss before booking.
Guide
What makes a jaw look square from the front
Three things widen the lower face: the jaw angle flaring outward, a thick outer cortex along the side of the mandible, and a broad chin. A strong masseter muscle can add to it, but that part responds to muscle treatment rather than bone surgery.
Lee and Park, writing in Facial Plastic Surgery in 2020, point out that shaping the side profile of the mandible alone may change the front view very little. To narrow the lower face as seen in a mirror, they describe combining sagittal resection of the lateral cortex with narrowing genioplasty, a chin operation that removes a central strip of bone. They also stress that the plan should follow the patient's own idea of a desirable face shape, which differs between cultures.
Guide
Angle reduction, cortex trimming and chin narrowing compared
Most square jaw plans mix these three steps. The table sets out what each one changes and what to ask about it.
| Step | What it changes | Seen mainly from | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaw angle reduction | Removes the flared corner of the mandible | Side view | How will a second angle step be avoided? |
| Outer cortex trimming | Thins the side wall of the jaw | Front view | How close will the cut run to the nerve canal? |
| Narrowing genioplasty | Removes a central strip to slim the chin | Front view | Will chin length or projection change too? |
Guide
How the bone cut is planned and carried out
Before surgery, a 3D CT scan maps where the inferior alveolar nerve runs inside the mandible and how thick the bone is on each side. Sides are rarely identical, so each one gets its own cut line.
Some surgeons move the plan into the operating room with a printed guide. Song and colleagues, in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 2017, used computer-designed guides that fitted onto the upper and lower teeth to copy a virtual angle resection in 20 Korean patients, together with a curved gooseneck saw. They reported no significant complications such as severe bleeding, facial nerve injury or airway obstruction, and a mean satisfaction score of 4.75 out of 5. With 20 patients, the study cannot show how often rare problems occur.
Guide
Risks to weigh before choosing jaw plastic surgery in Korea
Jaw bone surgery is a major operation, and a careful consultation names its risks plainly instead of playing them down.
- Inferior alveolar nerve injury: numbness of the lower lip and chin, often temporary but occasionally lasting.
- Unplanned fracture: the mandible can break beyond the planned line, sometimes near the joint, and may need fixation.
- Asymmetry: the two sides can heal differently and a second operation may be suggested.
- Sagging: once bone support is removed, the cheek and jowl skin can look looser, more so with age.
- Over-resection: too much bone at the angle can leave a step or an unnatural line.
- Bleeding, swelling of the airway and infection inside the mouth, which is why many patients stay one night.
Guide
When bone reduction is the wrong answer
A jaw that looks wide because the teeth do not meet properly is a bite problem, and that calls for orthognathic surgery planned with orthodontics, not contouring. A face that looks heavy mainly from muscle or fat may change little after bone work. Very thin skin or early sagging also raises the chance of a loose look afterward, so some surgeons advise a smaller reduction or none.
Evidence
Research behind this page
- Contouring the Mandible for Aesthetic Enhancement in Asian PatientsFacial Plastic Surgery · 2020 · doi:10.1055/s-0040-1717080
A review explaining that side-profile mandible reduction alone may barely change the front view, and that lateral cortex resection plus narrowing genioplasty is combined to slim the lower face.
- Occlusion-Fit V-Line Guide and Gooseneck Saw for Safe and Accurate Mandibuloplasty in AsiansAesthetic Plastic Surgery · 2017 · doi:10.1007/s00266-017-0837-8
Twenty Korean patients had angle resection with tooth-fitted 3D guides and a gooseneck saw, with no significant complications reported and a mean satisfaction score of 4.75 out of 5.
FAQ
Questions about V-line surgery in Gangnam
South Korea plastic surgery for the jaw: will my bite change?
Jaw angle and cortex reduction reshape the outer bone and are not meant to move the teeth, so the bite should stay as it was. Surgery that does change the bite is orthognathic surgery, a different operation planned with an orthodontist. If your teeth do not meet well, raise it at consultation, because the right plan may not be contouring at all.
Can a square jaw grow back after reduction?
Removed bone does not regrow into its old shape, so the bony outline is lasting. The face can still look wider over time if the masseter muscle stays strong or if weight and ageing change the soft tissue. Some patients combine surgery with muscle treatment later. Results vary from person to person, and ageing continues after any operation. Ask what shape the surgeon expects at one year.
What happens if the jaw breaks during surgery?
An unplanned fracture is usually fixed in the same operation with plates and screws. Recovery can be longer, and a soft diet may be needed for more weeks. Careful CT planning and guided cuts aim to lower the chance. Ask the surgeon how often it happens in their own practice and how the follow-up plan changes if it does. Ask about it plainly.
Can too much removed bone be corrected later?
Over-resection is hard to reverse, because missing bone has to be rebuilt with an implant or graft. That makes a conservative first plan sensible for many faces. Before surgery, ask to see the planned cut lines on your own CT scan and how much bone the surgeon intends to keep at the angle. A smaller first reduction can still be followed by a careful second step if needed.
How long should I wait before judging the final jaw shape?
Most swelling eases over the first several weeks, but the final contour is usually judged only after a few months. Firm tissue along the jaw and slight unevenness are common early on. Early asymmetry often softens as swelling settles. Ask when the clinic plans its final review, and avoid deciding on revision before that point. Photos at set intervals help you judge the change.