The last few San Francisco Plastic Surgery Blog posts have been about Facial Augmentation with implants. We have covered Chin Implants and Nasal Implants, and today we will review Cheek Implants.
How to Augment the Cheeks
There are two categories of Cheek Augmentation. The first type of Cheek Augmentation uses a filler, some more “permanent” than others. The second type uses an implant to boost the cheeks’ volume. There are variations within these two groups, and each method has its advantages and disadvantages.
Cheek Augmentation with Fillers
Most of you are familiar with dermal fillers (Restylane, Juvederm…). They are sterile preparations, packaged in prefilled syringes that can be injected right in my office with minimal downtime and recovery. There are many types of fillers, and the duration of Cheek Augmentation varies with both the type of filler used and the physiology of the patient injected. For example, the Hyaluronic Acid (HA) based fillers last several months, but there is a range depending on the amount of hyaluronidase, the enzyme that breaks down HA, your body produces.
Cheek Implants
Another, more permanent way to augment the cheeks is with Cheek Implants. Cheek Implants are placed in front of the mid-face to increase the volume and projection of the cheeks. This is often done for people born with flat or retruded cheeks. Cheek implants are also an important adjunct of facelift surgery, as the loss of cheek volume is a sign of aging.
Cheek implants restore youthful proportions and support the lower eyelid.
What Cheek Augmentation Doesn’t Do
Many Medical Spas and even some Plastic Surgeons suggest that fillers can be used to raise the cheeks and treat jowls. Cheek Augmentation is not a reliable way to raise the cheeks and lift the jowls, any more than Breast Implants are used to lift the breasts. Fillers can be used to disguise the jowls by smoothing the jawline, on the other hand, large volumes of filler make large cheeks without lifting the jawline skin. An actual lift, like a Mini Facelift, Facelift or Neck Lift, is the most reliable way to treat loose face or neck skin.
Cheek Augmentation Consultations
If you are considering Cheek Implants, Cheek Augmentation or a Facelift, call (925) 943-6353 today, and schedule a personal consultation appointment in our Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery office. We will review the options that will work best for you and tailor the augmentation to the aesthetic proportions of your face.
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