HFA chin

POSITION of the chin on PROFILE (look at profile photos – if you have taken these photos at a 90 degree angle the image should be very similar from both sides – if they are different take your photos again)

*The jutting forward chin is under consideration. It is often noticed on people who have blue chins from a front position so if it is blue, it won’t get another blue point if already rated from front position. We aren’t sure but keep note of this possibility. Occasionally this type of chin looks normal (not rated) from the front position, but is definitely jutting on the profile. At this point of time, do not rate this feature from a profile view.

Tips

  • The position of the chin is measured against two other points on the face 
    • Bridge – if the chin lines up with the bridge it is non-rated – if it doesn’t meet this line, it will get 1 yellow point (sloped or receding) 
    • Mouth – if the chin lines up with the mouth it is non-rated – if it doesn’t meet this line, it will get 1 yellow point (sloped or receding)
  • This feature is quite easy to see. Be careful the head of the patient is straight when the profile shots are taken, or you may get a false reading.

FRONT ON* image of the chin (front on photo – no smile)

*You are looking at the fleshy front of the chin not the edge (outline)

Tips

  • Look at the chin front on. Look at the fleshy front of the chin 
  • There are two possible shapes which are both red (and both get their own point) 
    • Ball – can be seen as an obvious ball (like the end of the nose) or sometimes a line like a wide upturned u-shape, will define a ball area 
    • Cleft – this feature will be a dimple in the middle of the chin – it can be a small circular shaped dimple or a straight line in the middle of the chin
  • Red features are ball shaped, large, or straight. Another aspect of red is that they appear in the middle of the face – down the centre line – like the radius of a circle

SHAPE of the OUTLINE of the chin (front on photo – non-smile)

Tips

  • Look at the chin shape along the edge 
  • There are five shapes a chin can have along its edge 
    • Even - if the shape is a continuous even arc, then it is even and unrated. If one side has a distinctive shape but the other is not as even it is still unrated. 
    • Defined – a defined shape means the front jaw line sits in front of or the angle of the front jaw is distinctive from the side jaw line. Sometimes there is a "puppet" appearance which has sharp lower corners 
    • Pointed – this type of chin comes to a point and is often longer than the average chin 
    • U shape – this chin is like the defined chin, but the front jaw line has a distinctive U shape 
    • Cleft – at the midpoint of the front jaw line (chin) a cleft appears as an inward sharp or inward upside-down arc. Because it is in the middle it is 1 red point
  • Chin rating – a chin can be either even, defined, pointed or u shape – but only ONE of these shapes. The cleft will be an extra point to any one of the first four shapes 
  • In the wizard, the cleft is located with the front on chin examples even though it forms the outline shape 
  • If you the patient is overweight, be careful to choose the shape of their ‘real’ chin 
  • Sometimes the extra weight gives an appearance of multiple chins making the actual chin looked defined when it might not be - trace the shape of the real chin