Cheek Filler
treatment guide
What is cheek filler
Think of the cheeks as the structural beam keeping the skin taught in the mid-face. If this beam shrinks, it has a knock on effect on all the other areas beneath it. Similar to the effect on a tent if you were to cut the height of the main structural pole, the fabric would begin to sag.
Over time, fat pads underneath our skin begin to resorb along with moisture and volume. The overlying skin now has less support and thus accentuating the signs of ageing by adding weight to lines formed below the cheeks. This is the principle reason why adding volume to your cheeks gives rise to possibly the most dramatic enhancement.
The details
By injecting dermal filler into the cheeks, the skin in the lower face is pulled upwards. In doing so, marionette lines and nasolabial folds around the mouth soften. And so with one treatment, you could see the benefits of three.
Hyaluronic acid based fillers are the go-to for this area of the face. Results typically last 12-18 months, after which your body naturally resorbs the filler. Tweakments using hyaluronic acid based dermal fillers are temporary and can be reversed using a special enzyme known as Hyauronidase.
There are different types of dermal fillers on the market specially designed for different areas of the face. For cheeks, a hyaluronic acid based filler is required. Hyaluronic acid is a sugar based protein which is present in our skin which gives it its youthful volume. As it is being injected beneath the skin, it acts like a sponge to draw water molecules to it – adding volume to the area.
For cheeks, any where from 0.5ml to 3ml of dermal filler can be used per cheek. You may get more or less than this depending on your own personal preference and aesthetic needs.
The Procedure
The procedure itself takes 15-20 minutes to perform with no down-time. Topical numbing cream or local anaesthetic injection can be used to help manage your pain. Most dermal fillers come ready mixed with 0.3% lidocaine (the numbing agent in local anaesthetic) which further helps control any pain.