Cheek Contouring
Fat pads in the cheeks, chin, and jawline create the volume and definition characteristic of a youthful face. An aging face appears sunken, with facial skin sagging over the bony structure due to gravity, emphasizing lines associated with aging.
We can restore volume to the cheeks by injecting the patient’s own fat, using hyaluronic acid fillers, or with implants, while loose skin can be lifted and tightened through surgical lifting.
Permanent
30 minutes
Depends on the procedure
About the Procedure
- When rejuvenating the face, we too often focus on isolated features, forgetting the harmony and balance between different structures. Beauty is not just about a nice nose, beautiful eyes, or lifted and defined cheeks – it’s about the overall synchronization and balance of all parts of the face.
- Cheekbones can be enhanced in several ways – temporarily, with hyaluronic acid fillers, or permanently, with implants or fat grafting.
- Temporary hyaluronic acid fillers are the most popular. They allow us to create controlled cheek volume, with the advantage that the effect gradually fades – meaning that with each visit, we can play with volume and shape a different, more attractive look. Still, the results are not short-lived – with the right product and provider, they can last up to two years.
- Injecting your own fat into the facial area – especially the cheeks – provides an almost permanent result. This restores the high, full cheekbones of youth while also removing fat from another part of the body where it's unwanted.
- The skin on the cheeks changes with age – it becomes loose, dry, less elastic, and wrinkled. Restoring volume and tightness doesn’t improve the skin quality itself. With a chemical peel, we regenerate the outer layers of the skin and smooth its surface, while also tightening and improving the structure of the deeper layers.
- A preoperative consultation and discussion about your wishes and expectations are crucial for planning the procedure. Before the treatment, we will talk in detail about the scope of the procedure and the expected scars.
- The procedure is performed under local or general anesthesia.
- After the procedure, the patient stays under short observation and then returns home.
- Recovery depends on the extent of the procedure. Some treatments are outpatient and require no recovery time, while surgical procedures do require a recovery period.
Learn more about the Cheek Enhancement Procedure
Fat pads are the most important component of the cheeks. They cover the cheekbone and the underlying facial muscles. While full cheeks are charming on a child, they are not necessarily attractive in adults. The shape of the cheekbones resembles an upward-facing trapezoid; women often recreate this with makeup by shading the lower part and highlighting the upper part. This creates the illusion of volume in the upper area and the projection of the Ogee curve. In men, full and high cheekbones are directed more forward, while in women they tend to be shaped more outward.
Both volume loss and improper volume addition can lead to dissatisfaction. The goal of aesthetic surgery is to achieve harmony and happiness—not disappointment.
ADVANTAGES OF SHAPING WITH HYALURONIC ACID FILLERS
Cheeks can be enhanced in several ways: temporarily with hyaluronic acid fillers or permanently with silicone implants or fat grafting. Hyaluronic acid fillers are the most popular method. They can correct deep wrinkles or restore fullness and shape to the cheeks by re-establishing the Ogee curve. Their greatest advantage is that the effect gradually fades. This allows the practitioner and client to experiment with volume and contour placement at each visit.
If we begin using fillers and Botox early enough—often in our twenties and usually in our thirties—we can prevent the formation of deep wrinkles and thus postpone the need for surgical procedures by several decades.
The main advantage of hyaluronic acid fillers compared to other fillers is their safety, as they naturally dissolve within the tissue. Since tissues age and change over time, gradual resorption of the product is a desirable feature. With later reapplications, we can adapt to the new state of the tissue and target specific age-related changes in the face.
The final touch can be achieved with a chemical peel, which improves skin quality, smooths fine lines and pores, enhances skin tone, and restores radiance. All these treatments are quick and painless outpatient procedures, allowing the client to return to daily activities the same day. The desired effect is a natural and refreshed look, with facial expressions fully preserved.
WHEN TO CHOOSE SILICONE IMPLANTS?
Silicone implants are recommended for individuals whose cheekbone structure is naturally underdeveloped or has diminished due to aging. For clients who simply want to subtly enhance the cheek area or restore youthful fullness lost with age, we recommend using hyaluronic acid fillers.
LIPOFILLING OR FAT TRANSFER
Fat grafting offers a virtually permanent effect. It allows us to naturally enhance the desired area while simultaneously removing fat from parts of the body where it is unwanted via liposuction. Lipofilling or autologous fat transfer is most effective in areas with minimal facial movement. This is typically the cheek area, where fat grafts tend to be very long-lasting, but fat can also be transferred to other regions such as the lips, chin, eyebrows, forehead—essentially anywhere lacking volume.
The procedure can be performed under local or general anesthesia. Since the material used is the patient’s own tissue, slight overcorrection is necessary because some of the injected fat will naturally be reabsorbed by the body. After the procedure, the liposuctioned area is wrapped or fitted with a compression garment. The areas where fat has been injected are stabilized with medical tape. To achieve optimal results, the procedure often needs to be repeated.