Your cheeks are one of the first features to lose their fullness as you age. Weight loss can also reduce the fullness of your cheeks. While there are many benefits to weight loss, one of the disadvantages is that you could end up losing too much fat from your face and end up looking older than you are. There is a remedy for that drawn and haggard look, and it has become the latest trend in cosmetic enhancements. Just as there are ways to plump up your chest, there are also ways to plump up your cheeks.
Synthetic Cheek Fillers
Cheek fillers (also called a cheek lift) are a relatively new way to replace lost volume in your cheeks. These injectable fillers typically use a gel made from hyaluronic acid – a substance that your body uses to make collagen. This type of filler is injected beneath the skin and is supposed to provide a natural looking appearance. A popular injectable cheek filler is marketed under the name Juvederm Voluma XC and the benefits of the injections are supposed to last up to two years.
Injectable hyaluronic fillers have a few potential side effects, including:
- Tenderness, swelling and redness at the injection site
- Firmness, bumps and bruising at the injection site
- Discoloration and itching at the injection site
- Infection
Fat Graft Cheek Fillers
With fat grafts the plastic surgeon takes fat from one part of your body and injects it into your cheeks. Fat grafts are currently the most popular form of cheek filler because they last a long time and, because the fat is part of your body, you are less likely to reject the tissue. Fat grafting does require you to have liposuction from another area of your body, so you will need to have a secondary cosmetic procedure in order to get this type of cheek filler.
Your body will eventually absorb the fat injected into your cheeks, but the benefits of the procedure can last a couple of years.
Cheek Implants
Cheek implants are a permanent solution using silicone to shape and add volume to your cheeks. The procedure is considered permanent but the surgeon can remove the implants at a later date. Cheek implants are more expensive, and more invasive, than cheek fillers because they require surgery under general anesthesia. They are considered to be more symmetrical than synthetic injectable fillers, but they don’t provide as natural a look as fat injections.
Because placing the implants requires surgery, there are certain potential risks, including:
- A bad reaction to the anesthesia
- Heavy bleeding
- Infection
- Poor wound healing
- Rejection of the implant
If you are interested in improving the appearance of your cheeks, you should consult with a plastic surgeon to determine which of these procedures might be best for you.
