With cheek fillers we are able to lift the face in small amounts by placing fillers in just the right spot. Do they lift like a facelift? Never. However, they do provide a bit of a lift or give the illusion of lifting.
Cheek fillers also provide volume to the face. Often as we age our tissue descends a little bit and it loses volume and we can get a sallow look. Ironically, our faces tend to look better when we are carrying some weight and think our bodies look worse. A 55 year old who works out a lot, is working to reduce the fat in their buttocks or abdomen, but at the same time they’re burning the fat off their faces as well.
If you look at most young people, they’ve got a lot of volume in their faces, even if they’re thin or working out a lot. Audrey Hepburn once said, you’ve got a choice as you age, you can either make your body look good or your face look good. Back then, it was true, but today we can help the face to look fuller while you reduce volume elsewhere on your body. I like to put a filler in the highlight of the cheek pad, over the cheek bone or malar eminence. I also place filler adjacent to the nostril crease which creates a fuller apple cheek. When placing fillerin those areas it creates a little pseudo lift because the tissues are more volumized and they pull on things like our nasolabial folds.
While fillers lift and pull out some wrinkles, many patients wonder if it lasts. That really depends how much is done. Think about inflating a balloon. When overfilling it a bit, it takes longer to deflate than if we underfill the balloon. Some fillers last a long time in the cheeks, such as Radiesse, Juvederm Voluma and Restylane Lyft. They all have good lifting power that we call G prime. I believe fillers have the biggest effect in the cheeks and on the jawline, but not as much in the neck because no one wants a fuller neck
Do you have questions? I do a lot of injections. I actually run an injection course and teach people to be the best and safest injector. It’s called the Sykes Face Sculpting Institute.
If you have questions as a patient, call my office or email me. I see patients like you every day and would love to talk with you.
Have questions about facelifts?
Email Dr. Sykes at [email protected]
Read More
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Facelift Before & After Photos
About Dr. Jonathan Sykes
Dr. Jonathan Sykes is a world-famous expert plastic surgeon who performs all cosmetic and functional plastic surgery procedures on the face and neck. He is a past president of The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and served on their Board of Directors for over 10 years. He is also a Professor Emeritus in Facial Plastic Surgery from UC Davis Medical Center, and the former Director of Facial Plastic Surgery at that institution.
He is known as the expert’s expert, and is often called to consult and advise other plastic surgeons in both Northern California and Beverly Hills. He has a special interest in eyelid and browlift surgery, facial rejuvenation surgery including facelifts, and rhinoplasty. He also has a particular interest in facial feminization surgery. Have questions? Email Dr.Sykes at: [email protected]
