Cheek Augmentation

High cheekbones, full cheek volume, and a firm jawline. These are some of the most profound characteristics of beauty. Many people turn to plastic surgery to lift and sculpt their aging faces. However, there are alternatives. If you are troubled by the effects of hormones, stress, gravity, and aging that are exhibited on your face, consider the value of dermal fillers. In our Huntington Beach office, we routinely use various dermal fillers to restore beautiful facial accents. One of the quickest ways to reclaim youthful facial contours is to augment and define the cheekbones. Expertly-applied, dermal fillers are an outstanding option for cheek augmentation. 

What is Cheek Augmentation?

Injectable cheek augmentation as we perform it in our friendly office is a luxurious facial contouring treatment. We beautifully enhance the cheeks using appropriate Juvederm or Restylane fillers, Sculptra, or your own fat cells.

Juvederm and Restylane are families of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that the body makes and uses in areas like the joints and the skin. In dermal filler form, hyaluronic acid is inserted into a target location, such as the cheeks, to invite water molecules to fill the area. As water is drawn in, the molecules become temporarily trapped by hyaluronic acid particles, resulting in many months of accentuated facial contours. 

Sculptra is referred to as a dermal filler, but it acts primarily as a collagen-stimulator. The injectable drug was initially approved by the FDA to correct HIV-related facial atrophy. Now, Sculptra is a common cosmetic treatment used to correct age-related atrophy in the temples, cheeks, and more. 

Fat cells are liquid gold in the hands of an experienced physician. Dr. Miller performs the multi-step fat transfer treatment in our comfortable office using appropriate anesthetics as needed. The fat transfer process obtains fat cells from an area of the body, isolates pure fat, and uses the living cells to augment another area. Facial rejuvenation using fat transfer is advantageous for those seeking the most enduring results. 

What are the Benefits of Cheek Augmentation?

The cheeks are central to youthful facial contours. Whether you have naturally flat cheeks or the curves across your mid-face have flattened over time, you can benefit from the precision use of dermal fillers. The products that have been developed specifically for the correction of mid-face volume loss offer a safe alternative to cheek implants, with specific advantages. The first is that there is no downtime required after cheek enhancement using dermal fillers. You may develop slight bruising or swelling, but these temporary side effects are easily disguised with makeup. Dermal filler injections provide localized volume increase that defines the cheeks without the risk of displacement and with a much lower risk of infection than cheek implants. 

Who is an Ideal Candidate for Treatment?

Dermal fillers are often used in adults who have a hollow, sunken appearance or who wish to enhance the height and definition of their cheekbones. Adults of all ages can be treated with dermal fillers provided that they do not have an active infection in the treatment area. Injectable treatments are also not approved for women who are pregnant or nursing. In choosing Orange County Cosmetic Surgery for your injectable cheek augmentation treatment, you put your goals in the hands of a physician with substantial depth of knowledge of facial anatomy and mastery of dermal filler products. Before your dermal filler treatment, Dr. Miller will perform a full consultation and examination of your skin and facial structure. His evaluation can determine the precise areas in which dermal filler injections would be most effective. In addition to direct cheek injections, treatment may involve the insertion of dermal fillers into the temples, tear troughs, jawline, or other areas that play into the overall shape of your face. 

How Safe is the Cheek Augmentation Procedure?

Dermal fillers have been routinely used for many years. All new products undergo demanding clinical testing prior to gaining FDA approval. In our years of cosmetic use, dermal fillers typically incur mild side effects that may include redness, swelling, and bruising. Some people feel minor soreness, tenderness, or itchiness in the treatment area. Because injections break the skin, there is a small chance of infection. While dermal filler treatment is conservative and temporary, it is necessary to receive injections from a board-certified provider. This greatly reduces the risk of overfilling or accidental injection into a blood vessel. Dr. Miller performs dermal filler injections often and has tremendous skill that translates into beautiful, natural-looking results with minimal risk.

What is the Cheek Augmentation Procedure?

Each dermal filler is designed to offer distinct advantages. During your consultation, Dr. Miller draws on his training and clinical experience to craft a specific treatment plan just for you. This includes the careful selection of the right dermal filler. For cheek augmentation, more robust products are ideal because they achieve greater volume increase and lifting in the mid-face, which tends to droop with age. Your treatment may be developed by observing an imaginary line that starts at the outer corner of your mouth and runs to your ear. The filler may be applied using a layering technique that augments the lateral contour as well as the transitional area from the upper cheek to the lower eyelid. If you have nasolabial folds, the filler may also be injected beneath them. While cheek augmentation is very specific, it occurs in relationship with the broader facial structure to achieve ideal symmetry. The entire process may take approximately 30 minutes. 

Recovery and Aftercare for Cheek Augmentation?

After your dermal filler treatment, you may resume most of your normal activities right away. The doctor may advise you to avoid strenuous activity and excessive heat for a day or two. Doing so allows swelling and redness to subside without aggravation. 

Schedule Your Injectable Cheek Augmentation Consultation

If you are interested in cheek augmentation using dermal fillers, contact us to schedule your free consultation with Dr. Miller.  Call 714-379-9777 today. Orange County Cosmetic Surgery helps women and men from throughout Huntington Beach, Orange County, and Newport Beach, California.