A cleft chin is the central dimple or groove that gives the chin a divided appearance. If yours has always been there and you would prefer a softer outline, treatment may reduce how noticeable it is. The choice depends on what creates the indentation and how much you want the shape to change.
I would want to understand whether you want to soften the cleft while keeping the character of your chin, or change its shape more substantially. Adding volume, reducing muscle activity and surgery do different things. The result should be planned around the feature you actually want to change.
01 / 07
What creates a cleft chin?
A cleft can be a small round dimple, a vertical groove or a more pronounced Y-shaped indentation. This variation was documented in a population study of 900 people by Bhanu and Malhotra. The word “cleft” describes the appearance; it does not tell us exactly what lies beneath it. [2]
The chin has bone underneath a layer of muscle and soft tissue. The paired mentalis muscles attach to the skin and help move the lower lip. Their arrangement across the centre of the chin can leave a depression between them. Garfein and Zide describe this soft-tissue anatomy in their review of chin shape and surgery. [1]
You may have read that a cleft chin means the two halves of the jaw failed to join. That explanation is too simple to apply to every visible dimple. A central groove can reflect the arrangement of the soft tissues, so its appearance alone does not establish a gap in the jawbone. [1]
02 / 07
Is a cleft chin inherited?
You may recognise the feature in relatives. However, the familiar account of one dominant or recessive “cleft-chin gene” is more definite than the evidence reviewed for this article allows. Bhanu and Malhotra described a range of appearances and called for more family and twin data. Their population study does not let me predict whether a child will inherit a parent's particular chin shape. [2]
03 / 07
Can the dimple be softened without surgery?
Hyaluronic acid filler may soften a cleft by adding volume beneath the indentation. The intention is to bring the hollow closer to the surrounding surface. Siquier Dameto describes this approach in a clinical article specifically about cleft chins. It is a clinician's account of treatment, rather than a controlled trial that establishes a success rate. [3]
The trade-off is that filler adds volume. I would consider how much softening is possible without making the chin look larger or heavier than you want. A shallow indentation and a pronounced groove may need different plans, and complete removal of the cleft should not be promised. [3]
Hyaluronic acid filler is absorbed over time, so further treatment may be needed to maintain the change. How long the visible result lasts depends on the product and the area treated. A fixed maintenance interval would need to be based on the actual result, not simply the date of the first injection. [5]
04 / 07
What could surgery change?
Surgery can address the tissues that create the cleft. Published approaches include altering the position of the mentalis muscles, with changes to bone or other tissues considered where the anatomy requires them. A 2022 paper by David and colleagues specifically describes mentalis muscle imbrication for cleft reduction: overlapping and securing muscle tissue to alter the central contour. [3] [4]
This is different from assuming every cleft needs a chin implant or a bone graft. If surgery is being considered, the surgeon should explain what they would change in your chin, where the incision would be and what degree of softening is realistic. The published technique alone does not establish how often patients achieve complete removal of the groove. [4]
Surgical changes can last longer than temporary filler, but involve recovery and risks such as infection, scarring or an unwanted contour. The expected recovery depends on the operation. I would not give someone a single recovery period before knowing which tissues would be treated. [3]
05 / 07
What if the chin looks puckered when it moves?
Several small pits that become more obvious when the chin tightens are often called “orange-peel chin”. This is muscle-related dimpling, which can coexist with a fixed central cleft. Botulinum toxin can soften the puckering by reducing muscle activity. In a trial of 20 people, Beer and colleagues found greater improvement in chin wrinkles on the toxin-treated side than on the side injected with saline. This was a wrinkle study, not a trial of congenital cleft removal. [6]
Muscle treatment may be considered where movement accentuates the appearance, but it does not fill a hollow. It also needs to preserve comfortable lip movement. Chin treatment is outside the authorised indications of the UK product information cited here, which is called off-label use. [3] [7]
06 / 07
What risks should be weighed against the change?
With filler, swelling, bruising and tenderness can occur after injection and often settle within days to weeks. Less common problems include infection or lumps. Accidental injection into a blood vessel is uncommon but can damage tissue; general filler safety guidance also describes potentially serious visual complications. These are risks of filler treatment, not a measured complication rate for cleft-chin correction. [5]
Unusual pain, pale or dusky skin, or any change in vision after filler needs urgent medical assessment. Muscle treatment has different risks, including unwanted weakness affecting nearby movement. Difficulty breathing, swallowing or speaking after botulinum toxin requires immediate medical attention. [5] [7]
07 / 07
What would make treatment worthwhile for you?
If the central groove is what bothers you, the useful goal may be a less visible indentation while keeping the overall size of your chin. If you also want more projection in profile, that is a broader change and needs to be planned separately. A smoother chin in a front-facing photograph does not show everything about how its proportions have changed.
I would compare your chin at rest and during movement, then discuss how the proposed change fits the rest of your face. Previous filler or surgery, the way your lips close and your medical history all belong in that assessment. A plan should specify the expected degree of softening and the possibility that some of the cleft will remain. [1] [5]
For some people, retaining a smaller, softer dimple is exactly the result they want. That preference deserves to be part of the plan from the beginning.
Sources
Sources distinguish anatomical explanation and clinical technique from trials of treatment outcomes. Larger studies of chin projection or muscle-related wrinkles have not been presented as evidence of congenital cleft removal.
- Garfein ES, Zide BM. Chin ptosis: classification, anatomy, and correction. 2008. doi:10.1055/s-0028-1098968. Anatomical and surgical review; full text reviewed.
- Bhanu BV, Malhotra KC. A population genetic study of cleft chin in India. Am J Phys Anthropol. 1972;37:367–372. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330370306. Abstract reviewed; full text not obtained. Describes variation in 900 people, not treatment outcomes.
- Siquier Dameto G. Treating a cleft chin. Aesthetics. July 2018;5(8). Full article reviewed. Clinical opinion and technique discussion, not a controlled study. Its categorical inheritance, permanence and maintenance claims are not adopted here.
- David AP, Knott PD, Seth R. Mentalis muscle imbrication mentoplasty for chin cleft reduction and chin narrowing. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2022;24(S2):S38–S40. doi:10.1089/fpsam.2022.0069. Publication and technique identified; full text not obtained. No success or complication rate is inferred.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Dermal fillers (soft tissue fillers). General safety and duration information, not UK licensing guidance or a cleft-chin trial. Accessed 13 October 2026.
- Beer K, Yohn M, Closter J. A double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of Botox for the treatment of subjects with chin rhytids. J Drugs Dermatol. 2005;4:417–422. Abstract reviewed; full text not obtained. Twenty-person study of muscle-related chin wrinkles.
- UK Summary of Product Characteristics: BOTOX 100 Allergan Units. Sections 4.1, 4.4 and 5.1. Product information; accessed 13 October 2026.
