Healthy cheeks help determine how youthful you look. However, as we age, cheeks tend to become hollow as a result of changes to facial volume. Skin becomes thinner and less “full” over time, and at the same time the natural pockets of fat on the upper cheeks shift to a lower position, leaving the naturally round contours of the face “empty.”
These days, injectable fillers give us some excellent options to restore lost facial volume. Adding volume in a safe and customized injectable procedure helps restore the youthful appearance of the face in natural, flattering ways. Your doctor will be able to discuss your options with you in detail, but the major options available include injections of fat (usually obtained from another area via liposuction, then purified before use with the same patient), and injectable dermafillers for a nonsurgical ‘facelift’ specifically designed to restore facial volume.
Benefits of Dermafillers:
- The procedure is very fast and convenient, especially by comparison to even minimally-invasive surgical options.
- Fillers tend to cost much less and don’t require the accompanying liposuction that fat transfer techniques involve
- Recover is virtually immediate with dermafillers, while fat transfer and other more extensive options tend to involve a greater risk of swelling and bruising
- Fillers have immediate results that tend to last longer; with fat transfer, there is always the possibility that your tissues will reabsorb the transferred fat faster than you would like
Safe and highly effective hyaluronic acid fillers include Perlane®, Restylane®, RADIESSE®, and JUVÉDERM® Injectable Gel, and are great options to treat volume loss in the face. Each of these options varies a bit in terms of the feel and time frame, but all of them can help restore lost volume to “sunken” areas. Unlike surgical facial implants, dermal fillers create minimal discomfort to apply, and injection sites heal fast.
Consult with an experienced cosmetic dermatologist to find out which procedure would work best for you.
Dr. Berkowitz is a board-certified, fellowship-trained oculofacial surgeon focusing on advanced cosmetic surgery procedures to enhance and restore the face. With over 16 years of experience in facial surgery specifically, Dr. Berkowitz has an extensive background in both cosmetic and reconstructive procedures to correct an extensive range of concerns ranging from the natural damage of aging to highly specialized procedures to correct for burns and injuries.
