5 things to know before cheek augmentation

Full, round cheeks are requested by many Washington DC area patients from their plastic surgeon, as beautiful cheeks are a sign of youth and vitality. Strong cheeks are also seen in many celebrities too, classic and current.

The cheek bone itself is the scaffolding that primarily helps create strong cheek structure, with facial fat providing additional contour. Cheeks slowly become flatter in everyone with age, from a combination of both bone and fat volume loss gradually with time.

However, before you rejuvenate your appearance and get a cheek augmentation procedure, consider the following:

Many choices are available.

Unlike some facial plastic surgery procedures where surgery is essentially the only option (ex. upper eyelid blepharoplasty), cheek enhancement has many options, both surgically and non-surgically. Non-surgical cheek augmentation is the most popular, with results lasting several months to a year. Surgery, on the other hand, creates permanent change to enhance cheek bone structure.

• non-surgical cheek enhancement – facial fillers (Juvederm®, Restylane®, Sculptra®, Radiesse®, etc), fat transfer
• cheek enhancement – cheek implant surgery, cheek lift

How does one decide the “best” cheek augmentation method, ie. liquid facelift vs. cheek implant? As with any plastic surgery procedure, consultation with a physician who specializes in cosmetic facial procedures can help one make their own “best” decision.

Asymmetry is normally present and might be improved.

Everyone has facial asymmetry, which is normal and expected. Some patients may be unaware of their own asymmetry until evaluated closely by a facial plastic surgeon. As a result, treatment on one side of the face may be a little different from the other side. For example, more filler may be injected on one side of the face, or cheek implants may be slightly modified as necessary.

Downtime is short with office treatments.

Minimizing downtime is important for our Washington DC patients, who want to return to work quickly and avoid appearing as if “work was done”. Most bruising and swelling after office injections with facial fillers resolve within the first day in many patients. Cheek augmentation surgery patients, on the other hand, should anticipate several days before they may feel “restaurant ready”.

The cheek area involves the lower eyelid.

Cheek augmentation treatments often address the lower eyelid area too. Dark circles or eye bags may be improved with cheek plastic surgery treatments, non-surgical or surgical. Your facial plastic surgeon may suggest possible options to consider to reduce puffy lower eyelids along with smoother cheeks.

Your cheeks may be fine, whereas other facial areas may need more attention first.

Some patients request fuller cheeks, but may better benefit from other cosmetic facial treatments. Consulting with a true facial specialist who performs a variety of cosmetic procedures can help determine appropriate treatment options. For example, reducing volume of the lower cheek or mid facial area with buccal fat reduction may be more appropriate to enhance the upper cheeks. Alternatively, lower eyelid dark circles or eye bags should be treated first for an overall better aesthetic improvement prior to enhancing the cheeks themselves.

Have you considered cheek augmentation? Share your thoughts below.