Sunken Cheeks

Ageing has a profound effect on the appearance of the mid face. There may be significant atrophy of subcutaneous fat, leading to a loss of volume and decreased support for facial features, as well as a loss of skin elasticity.

The consequences of fat atrophy in the mid face include a loss of prominence in the cheek area, accentuation of hollow cheekbones, and the presence of excess skin. In addition, the area below the cheekbone known as the buccal cheek area will often become more indented. In some patients, this can create a 'gaunt' or aged look. Ageing cheeks can even cause a hollowing effect around the eyes; accentuating hollow eye circles especially if eye surgery with fat removal has been performed. Volume loss is one of the most significant contributors to facial ageing. People who are overweight rarely develop this sign of facial ageing, as their cheeks remain fuller and more rounded.

Often an ageing face is less about a softening jawline and more about losing volume higher up in the face viz. the temples, the eyebrow area, the anterior and lateral midface giving the appearance of sunken cheeks. Although surgical procedures have been used traditionally to tighten skin and muscle and reduce the appearance of sagging around the jawline and midface, surgery cannot restore lost volume in the cheek area and a new generation of techniques are better suited for this purpose such as the Liquid Facelift also known as Dermal Fillers rejuvenation.

At Clínica Privé, we have introduced rejuvenative techniques such as the Liquid Facelift, which is better suited for volume replacement than traditional techniques such as fat transfer that has considerable downtime. After having had their cheeks "volumized" with Dermal Fillers, a lot of patients come back to say that they did not realize what a big difference putting the "apple back into their cheeks has made and they usually request more volume. Young adults have fuller cheeks that reflect light, and recreating cheek volume in ageing patients who have lost facial volume creates a youthful appearance.

Clínica Privé Tip

Volume loss around the eye area is another indication for Dermal Fillers correction. Take a good look at the area under your eyes. Is there a hollow trough between the base of the puff and the top of your cheek? Surgery to address tear trough hollows is not always appropriate but tear-trough rejuvenation with Dermal Fillers brings back youthful volume and contours the lower eyelids in a safe and minimally invasive way. You'll have a series of microinjections all along the line of the hollow using Juvederm, Voluma or Volbella- hyaluronic gel fillers - followed by a little gentle massage to distribute the gel evenly. There is only minimal discomfort and the procedure only takes about 10 minutes. But it's best to seek out an experienced doctor to carry out the treatment, as the results are very injector dependent. There could be mild swelling and a 10 % chance of bruising around the eyes but this soon settles. You'll see the results instantly and the effects last around nine to 12 to 18 months.