Just like many other parts of human body, the cheeks also begin to sag as we grow old. This happens because the skin on our cheeks loses volume and elasticity over time. External factors like smoking and prolong exposure to sunlight can also contribute to saggy and sunken cheeks. If you are someone who is suffering from this, then there is good news for you. Today, with the help of cheek implants and cheek fillers, surgeons can bring back the “fullness” of your cheeks and restore your youthful appearance.
Below, you will find some advantages and disadvantages of cheek implants as well as learn how they are inserted.
Surgical: A disadvantage of cheek implants is that they require surgery. Incisions are either made on the natural folds of the lower eyelids or inside the mouth to minimize visible scars.
Procedure: Before the implants are placed, you will be put under with sedation anesthesia. Then, incisions are made and implant is inserted through the opening. In most cases, the surgery can be performed in less than an hour and the results can be seen right away.
Recovery: Like many other plastic surgeries, cheek implants also leave swelling on the face and numbness can be felt by the patient for few days afterwards. Normal recovery can take up to six weeks although the very final result is after 6-months.
Results: Because cheek implants are permanent, they can stay in place forever and do not require you to spend money to have them replaced. Dr De Silva will chose an implant that best suits your individual needs this includes your expectations from surgery, your facial shape and size, your age and the natural shape of your underling cheek bones. Cheek implants produce better results than fillers if you want to have more prominent and sculpted cheekbones.
Now, let’s examine how cheek fillers work and what are some positive and negative qualities of them.
Non-Surgical: One of the biggest advantages of fillers over implants is that fillers do not require surgery. Instead of using incisions, the surgeon will only use syringes to inject fillers in the cheek. Moreover, since there is no surgery, this means there are very little complications in performing this procedure.
Procedure: Your surgeon will measure the contours of your face before injecting the fillers in order to make sure the desired results are achieved. The patient will not be sedated and will be fully awake throughout the 30-minute procedure.
Recovery: Because of the use of syringes, some small bruises can be seen after the procedure. However, they are almost unnoticeable. Total recovery time for fillers can be anywhere from three days to ten days.
Results: One major downside of injectable fillers is that the results are not permanent. Thus, they need to re-injected every six to twelve months in order to maintain the plumpness of the cheeks. In the long run, this can be expensive.
Generally, someone who has a lack of proper structure of the cheekbones would be an ideal patient for cheek implants as they are superior when it comes to improving cheekbones’ appearance. On the other hand, a person looking for very minor changes to the cheek area should consider getting cheek fillers.
Whether you need implants or fillers, it is recommended that you consult your doctor before making a decision. You are welcomed to schedule an appointment with Dr Julian De Silva to go over your needs.
