Cheek Augmentation
Conveniently located to serve the areas of Corpus Christi and South Texas
Until recently the only way to create the illusion of high cheekbones, an essential feature of classical beauty, was through the skillful application of make-up. Today cheek augmentation can give you a more permanent definition to a face that has a flat contour due to a long, narrow, or round face. As we age sagginess of the skin and soft tissues further contribute to loss of our cheekbone definition. The alternative of simply having fillers injected is that these fillers will eventually be absorbed, sometimes unevenly, and the injections need to be repeated.
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About Cheek Augmentation
The cheeks are a prominent facial feature that profoundly impacts the overall shape of your face and facial harmony. Defined cheekbone structure improves the symmetrical appearance of your face and also creates a slimmer profile. Cheek augmentation is an effective and safe facial sculpting treatment that provides consistent, pleasing results.
Cheek augmentation is well-suited for rejuvenating the appearance of sagging or sunken cheeks. Sagging and sunken cheeks are a common symptom of aging and can leave an individual looking decades older than their actual age. This treatment lifts the cheeks with natural-feeling implants that are well-accepted by the body and provide long-lasting improvements.
Cheek augmentation is often overlooked, but this treatment results in subtle and profound improvements.
The mid-face area is the space above your mouth and below your eyes. It includes your lower eyelids, the area around your cheekbones, cheeks, and nose. Due to genetics or the effects of aging, individuals may have little to no definition or volume in this area, which will have implications for the rest of their appearance. Your face can chronically hold a tired, older, serious or even distressed impression.
Candidates for Cheek Augmentation
Our faces are an important part of the impression we make on others. For many individuals, feeling self-conscious about certain facial features can be problematic and undermine their overall self-confidence. For those who are otherwise healthy, non-smoking adults with flat or undefined cheekbones, cheek augmentation can be an ideal option.
Ideal candidates for cheek augmentation:
- Are in good, overall health
- Are non-smokers
- Lack definition and volume in cheekbone structure
- Are open to surgical treatment to alter their appearance
- Have their own, realistic expectations of the procedure.
- Have experienced or are experiencing lost volume in the mid-face region
Cheek Augmentation Options
Implants come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, textures, and materials. Though, the most commonly used are made of silicone, a resilient, natural-feeling synthetic material. Silicone is one of the most inert substance known to man.
There are three main types of implants:
Submalar
These are one of the most common types of implant. Submalar implants conform to the natural curvature of your cheekbones and add height and projection. They are placed directly on top of the midface area, on the bony structure beneath the lower eyelids.
Malar Shell
Are placed directly on the cheekbones for adding curvature and definition to the cheekbone. In recent years, these have fallen out of favor for submalar implants.
Combined Submalar Shell
These are a combination of submalar and malar-shaped implants that add height and volume to the midface and high-cheekbone area.
Additionally, cheek implants are made of a silicone that is easily reshaped and customized during the procedure. If deemed necessary, Dr. Gentile can sculpt the implant for a fully customized fit.
Cheek Augmentation Procedure
The procedure is performed through an incision inside the gum-line of the mouth, the lower eyelid, or sometimes via a temporal incision when performed in conjunction with a midface lift. A shaped implant is then inserted in the pocket above the cheekbone.
Cheek augmentation at a glance:
- Treatment time: outpatient, approx. 1 hour
- Anesthesia: local anesthesia or general sedation available
- Recovery: a few days of swelling
Recovery and Results
After the procedure, your results are immediately visible, although there will be some swelling. The main benefit of cheek augmentation procedures is the relative ease of the recovery with most patients returning to their normal routines within a few days. The incisions are closed with absorbable sutures and the tissues of the mouth are fast-healing. Within a week or two, most swelling and tenderness has subsided and patients can return to work..
Your new facial contour will be immediately visible, but the final results will appear once swelling completely subsides. The results of cheek augmentation with injectable fillers or fat transfer are not as long-lasting, but temporary.
The results of a cheek augmentation with implants last as long as the implants are in place.
Complementary Treatments
If you are interested in achieving a comprehensive, complete treatment, the cheek augmentation procedure is easily combined with other facial enhancement treatments. Whether the goal is anti-aging or improving your overall facial harmony, Dr. Gentile can develop a customized treatment package.
Eyelid Lifts
Eyelid lifts or blepharoplasties raise sagging skin, reduce puffiness and improve the overall appearance of the eyelid region impacted by age and skin laxity. If you are experiencing puffiness, bags, or sagging of the upper or lower eyelids, eyelid lifts are an ideal treatment.
Eyelid lifts refresh your overall appearance by removing excess skin and, if necessary, tightening levator muscles in the eyelids to address sagging. Fatty deposits may also be removed if they are causing bags under the eyes.
A combination eyelid lift and cheek augmentation treatment is a popular choice for refreshing a tired, aged and stressed-out appearance.
Facial Fat Transfer
A facial fat transfer is a natural solution for filling sunken areas and adding volume to the cheeks. Fat transfers are a safe and popular method where fat is taken from sources of your own natural fat deposits and used to create a fuller, rounder, perkier appearance. Facial fat transfers may be useful in conjunction with or as an alternative for cheek augmentation.
Facial fat transfers are performed with a combination of liposuction to remove fat from donor sites on your body such as the stomach or thighs. The harvested fat is purified and transferred into a sterile syringe for injection.
Though fat transfers are similar treatments to dermal fillers, fat transfers tend to deliver longer lasting results with little to no chance of allergic reaction.
Soft Tissue Fillers
Soft tissue fillers such as Juvederm or Radiesse are made from naturally-derived substances such as hyaluronic acid. These substances are great for holding moisture and adding volume to areas that are sunken or sagging.
Soft tissue fillers create a fuller, perkier, natural-looking appearance and are highly effective for erasing deep creases and lines.
Soft tissue fillers are administered through injection and are a quick, convenient treatment. These injections are popular alternatives or are used in conjunction with cheek augmentation.
Skin Rejuvenation
If you’re choosing cheek augmentation to address the signs of aging, skin rejuvenation treatments pair very well for achieving a complete age-reduction result. Dr. Gentile offers a variety of the world’s most advanced skin rejuvenation techniques such as chemical peels, microdermabrasion and other skin regimen treatments.
Skin rejuvenation treatments come in a variety of modalities that are adept at removing skin blemishes, age spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Skin rejuvenation and cheek augmentation combine for great results in treatment for facial aging.
Consultation
Cheek augmentation is highly customized to your body and goals during your personal consultation with Dr. Gentile. Together, you will discuss the steps of the procedure in detail, as well as the different augmentation and rejuvenation options that are available to you. We often recommend patients bring in younger pictures of their face to serve as a reference.
If you are seeking treatment to address sunken cheeks or sagging of the midface, you can lay down on your back and hold a mirror to your face to get an idea of what cheek implants can do for you as well. Laying down removes the effect of gravity and allows sagging cheeks to settle into a lifted position.
After a physical examination and discussion of your medical history, Dr. Gentile will develop a recommended course of treatment.
Price
Each cheek augmentation procedure is entirely customized to the individual and pricing packages are uniquely tailored. At the end of the consultation, you’ll also receive a customized cost breakdown of your treatment package.
