We've become obsessed with how our chins look to others.

At least that's what the statistics recently released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons would seem to suggest.

The group reported that 20,680 American adults underwent a "chin augmentation" procedure last year, making it the fastest growing cosmetic surgery trend, ahead of breast enhancement, Botox treatments and liposuction combined.

Actually, augmentation is a bit of a misnomer. For most Americans, the issue is not so much not enough chin as it is too many of them ― doubles and even triples.
Jowliness, the excess of skin an
d fat around the chin and jaw line, is among the first signs of aging, which is why the biggest increase in "chin plant" procedures has been among patients 40 and older.

But the procedure is also up substantially among 20- and 30-somethings, although some in that age group are more likely to get chin injections rather than surgical implants to firm up their jaw lines.

Many surgeons say patients are motivated to spend the $2,500 to $5,000 for a chin plant not so much by how they appear in person, but how they look on Facebook and video camera or iPhone exchanges held between business associates.

One spokesman for the ASPS said many top executives tend to have "a stronger chin. As a result, people subconsciously associate a stronger chin with more authority, self-confidence and trustworthiness."

Then too, some folks don't stop at the chin: Lip augmentation and cheek implants were also among the fastest growing operations in terms of popularity last year.

This article was published and distributed by Scripps Howard News Service (www.scrippsnews.com).