Facial rejuvenation is one of the primary reasons why our patients come to visit us. As you age, parts of your face may become deflated or appear sunken-in. As prominent cheeks have often been considered attractive and cosmetically pleasing, sunken cheeks may make you feel self-conscious. Cheek augmentations or implants can restore definition and improve facial contours providing you with volume and a more youthful appearance.

What is a cheek augmentation?

The goal of a cheek augmentation is to add volume or lift to the cheeks. As we age, the soft tissues of the face can become thin and less firm, resulting in a loss of volume in the facial area and causing an aged, sickly, and sunken-in appearance. This can also be due to changes in your bones, gravity, trauma, injury, or illness. With cheek augmentation we can restore plumpness, volume, and definition to the face.

The best candidates for cheek augmentation are those who have fully matured faces with flat facial shapes, weak structures, or volume loss due to age with realistic expectations.

Though there are non-surgical options that can achieve a younger look such as fillers, often the results are temporary. Instead, we recommend surgical treatment using implants for long-lasting, nearly permanent results.

Cheek implants can be made of a variety of materials and range in textures from fairly rigid to flexible, they are also available in different shapes and sizes to best fit your goals and needs. During your consultation, your doctor will discuss what implants are right for you so that you can achieve optimal results.

What to expect

Cheek augmentations can also be combined with other procedures for facial rejuvenation such as chin implants, forehead lifts, or dermal fillers. During your consultation, your doctor will assess your facial structure and evaluate factors such as your health, medical history, and cosmetic goals. Together, you will work to create a customized surgical plan.

The procedure is typically a one hour in-office surgery and performed under general anesthesia. The incision locations will depend on the implants used and your doctor’s best judgment, but often an incision is made inside of the mouth to reduce scarring. A pocket is created above the surface of the cheekbone and the implant is then inserted and secured. Once stabilized, the incision is closed with dissolvable sutures.

Afterward, bandages and dressing will be applied, to keep the area clean and support the implants during the healing process.

Recovery

Though some results of the surgery will be able to be seen almost immediately, the swelling will take several weeks to a few months to fully dissipate and allow you to see the full results accurately. It is common for bruising, numbness, tightness, temporary loss of sensation, slight discomfort, swelling, and discoloration to occur in the recovery process.

In case of a mouth incision, a liquid diet may be recommended to you to minimize the risk of complications during recovery. Brush your teeth gently and with great care and be aware of harsh liquids that may irritate the incision such as soda, overly sour or salty food products, and mouthwash.

Rigorous activity should be avoided during the first few weeks following surgery, but normal day-to-day activities can be resumed after several days of rest.

Follow-up care is essential to this procedure in monitoring the healing process. Report unusual swelling, bleeding, lumps, fever or other symptoms to your doctor. Keep up with follow-up appointments to ensure your healing is taking place normally.

The results are long-lasting and nearly permanent, but age, weight fluctuations, and gravity may still impact your cheeks even after successful treatment.

For more information on cheek augmentations and how you can benefit, contact Eastlake Cosmetic Surgery today.