Cheekbone augmentation or the most popular beauty procedure: pros and cons

High cheekbones are a clear sign of youth, good heredity and a constant symbol of beauty for many centuries. Pronounced cheekbones provide support and help the facial tissues to be lifted.

Over time, as a result of aging, bone structures become thinner and the face loses volume, especially in the cheekbones. The muscles weaken, the skin loses elasticity and firmness and creeps down. As a result, nasolacrimal grooves, nasolabial lips, and jowls are formed.

Lipofilling

This is a low-traumatic operation that allows you to replenish lost volume and change the shape of your cheekbones using autologous fat. The advantage of this operation is that your own fat does not cause rejection or allergies, takes root in 95% of cases and remains at the injection site forever. The result can be seen immediately, but the full effect will occur after 3 months. Section on the clinic website.

Facial lipofilling after severe weight loss. There are contraindications, consultation is required

Sources

• Gauglitz G., Steckmeier S., Pötschke J., Schwaiger H. Cohesive Polydensified Matrix® hyaluronic acid volumizer injected for cheek augmentation has additional positive effect on nasolabial folds. // Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol - 2022 - Vol10 - NNULL - p.507-513; PMID:29276401
• D'Agostino A., Trevisiol L., Favero V., Gunson MJ., Pedica F., Nocini PF., Arnett GW. Hydroxyapatite/Collagen Composite Is a Reliable Material for Malar Augmentation. // J Oral Maxillofac Surg - 2016 - Vol74 - N6 - p.1238.e1-1238.e15; PMID:26954559
• Michels P., Vandeputte J., Kravtsov M. Treatment of Age-related Mid-face Atrophy by Injection of Cohesive Polydensified Matrix Hyaluronic Acid Volumizer. // J Clin Aesthet Dermatol - 2015 - Vol8 - N3 - p.28-34; PMID:25852812
• Khiabani K., Keyhan SO., Varedi P., Hemmat S., Razmdideh R., Hoseini E. Buccal fat pad lifting: an alternative open technique for malar augmentation. // J Oral Maxillofac Surg - 2014 - Vol72 - N2 - p.403.e1-15; PMID:24438602

Contour plastic

Contouring cheekbones. There are contraindications, consultation is required

will help sculpt your cheekbones and give your skin a smooth and fresh look . It is a non-surgical alternative to plastic surgery. The result will be noticeable on the second day, does not require long-term recovery, the effect lasts up to 6-12 months, denser gels up to 18 months. Section on the clinic website.

When is correction indicated?

Age, as well as individual physiological characteristics, influence the shape of the face: the cheeks sink or become covered with a thin layer of fatty tissue, the nasolacrimal groove becomes pronounced, and there may be other changes. Often the shape of the cheekbones is initially poorly expressed or has defects. All of the listed cosmetic imperfections can be corrected by contour plastic surgery.

The procedure is indicated not only for those who have been affected by age-related changes, but also for those who want aristocratic facial features, turning flaws into advantages.

Check lifting

Check lifting is a plastic surgery to lift the middle third of the face. Using this method of rejuvenation, you can achieve not only high cheekbones, but also form a clear oval face. The rehabilitation period takes 3 weeks. The effect lasts up to 7 years. Section on the clinic website.

An example of check-lift cheek surgery. There are contraindications, specialist consultation is required

Cheekbone reduction techniques

Correction of the cheekbones may also include reducing volume in this area. Typically, this involves liposuction of the cheeks or proportional augmentation of the lower third of the face in order to balance out the heavier upper part.

Check-lifting

A cheek lift can remove lip sacs, fat above the cheekbones, reduce the depth of nasolabial folds and eliminate wrinkles under the eyes. It can be carried out in superficial and deep ways. For small or medium changes and age-related defects, the skin and a thin layer of subcutaneous fat are corrected using a superficial method. The deep method involves working with the SMAS - muscular aponeurotic system. The result is more pronounced, the technique allows you to correct even pronounced imperfections.

Liposuction of the buccal area

The operation is performed under general anesthesia and lasts from 30 minutes to 1 hour. The fat is sucked out by a vacuum apparatus through thin cannulas with an atraumatic end. Various amounts of fat can be removed at one time - everything is decided based on the patient’s problems and wishes.

Bone remodeling

During the operation, excess volume of the cheekbones is cut off after the soft tissue is peeled away from it. A section of bone may also move inward after osteotomy or reduction.

Contraindications

Refusal to perform an operation is possible if there are restrictions such as:

• Age up to 25 years, since before this period the formation of the facial skeleton occurs.
• Dental inflammatory diseases.
• Dermatological diseases of the facial skin.
• Severe pathologies of the heart, blood vessels, kidneys.
• Diabetes.
• Neoplasms of various types.
• Endocrine disorders.
• Infections and viruses.
• Purulent inflammation.
• Individual intolerance to the components of the anesthetic substance.

Preparation

At the preliminary consultation, the doctor assesses the upcoming treatment area, measures it, and selects implants. Some clinics offer 3D modeling after choosing the type of plastic surgery.

The preparatory period includes, in addition to standard tests, an examination by a dentist.

Before the appointed date, the patient begins to prepare the body for surgery: he stops taking any medications or hormonal drugs. Smoking and drinking alcohol is prohibited.

Complications

The percentage of side effects with malarplasty is quite low, but, nevertheless, it exists. The following risks are possible:

• Numbness and pain when touched. Explained by damage to the trigeminal or facial nerve. It goes away on its own within a few weeks. Unpleasant sensations are relieved with analgesics.
• The appearance of pus and inflammation. Indicates infection during surgery due to non-compliance with sanitation measures. The use of antiseptic drugs and a course of antibiotics is required.
• Hematomas and seromas. They develop as a result of lack of wound drainage. It is necessary to stop the bleeding and install a fluid removal system for a couple of days.

With cheekbone augmentation and implantation, the following may occur:

• Rejection. Happens in 0.9% of cases. The reason is the individual characteristics of the body - sensitivity to certain materials from which the endoprosthesis is made. If this occurs, replacement is required.
• Bias. Occurs only due to ignoring recovery rules. Eliminated by secondary plastic surgery.

Among the specific complications after the procedure, experts emphasize:

• Ptosis of the middle part.
• Chronic sinusitis as a result of trauma to the nasal sinuses.
• Oral injuries.

Side effects such as dizziness, nausea, and swelling are common reactions to surgery. After 3-5 days, the symptoms go away on their own.

How to do cheekbone plastic surgery: mandibuloplasty

The most common method used to perform cheekbone surgery is mandibuloplasty, or prosthetics. Initially, bone tissue was used as implants, since their mandatory characteristics are hardness and internal compatibility. However, it was extremely difficult to give the endoprosthesis the desired configuration. Nowadays, prostheses have been developed from durable silicone, which is durable and can be modeled in any shape.

Endoprosthesis replacement is possible only after 25 years, since the skeletal system must be fully formed.
The preparatory stage includes a consultation, during which the surgeon explains how cheekbones are made, plastic surgery or injection sculpting is suitable in a particular case. Next, the face is measured and the prosthesis is made, which lasts about 10 days. During this time, the patient undergoes the necessary medical examination. Cheek surgery is performed under general anesthesia through incisions on the inside of the cheeks or in the fold between the upper lip and teeth.
In this case, it is possible to combine prosthetics with skin tightening, carried out using the same incisions as for mandibuloplasty. After the operation, numbness, swelling, and pain when chewing are felt, but the recovery period lasts 1-2 weeks, and the result lasts for life. Before any surgical intervention, it is necessary to perform computer modeling. Patients should make sure that the new facial features will correspond to their idea of ​​beauty and harmony. If you decide to make a change, trust your beauty and health only to experienced specialists who work in modern clinics using high-quality certified implants.

Rehabilitation

The person is placed in a hospital for a day, after which he is sent home.

The stitches are removed on the ninth day. During this period, sharp pain, swelling, blueness, and decreased sensitivity are felt. To alleviate the pain, painkillers are prescribed to prevent the development of infection - antibiotics.

The first 5-7 days are the hardest. During this period you should not eat solid food. Food must be in liquid form.

During the month it is obligatory to:

• Rinse your mouth with a special rinse for disinfection after each meal.
• Do not brush your teeth.
• Don't touch your face.
• Do not apply decorative cosmetics.
• Apply a cold compress several times a day to relieve swelling.

After approximately two weeks, you can return to your normal lifestyle. The general recovery course takes 5-6 months. It can be extended if bone resurfacing has been performed.

Price

Prices for malarplasty vary from 65 to 145 thousand rubles. In Moscow clinics the prices are as follows:

Author: Mamedov Elchin Velievich Plastic surgeon, associate professor of medical sciences He is considered one of the founders of endoscopic facial rejuvenation in the Russian Federation. He has performed many operations on endoscopic facelift, otolasty, rhinoplasty, platysmoplasty, liposuction and abdominoplasty.

Technique

The operation is performed under general anesthesia with tracheal intubation. Before starting, the surgeon selects the type of tissue access. Typically, the approach comes from the oral cavity, which involves a 1 cm incision in the alveolar region of the jaw. The advantage of this method is hidden scars, but there are also disadvantages - the risk of infections acquired through the oral route increases.

The external method is used if malarplasty is combined with a facelift. In this case, the scalpel is held behind the ear, heading towards the temporal area.

Cheekbone augmentation is performed as follows:

• Through the selected access, a plane is formed for placing the implant.
• The endoprosthesis is installed in the periosteum pocket. Here it is important to avoid contact with the oral mucosa and teeth.
• The material is fixed in the new position.
• Two stitches are applied.

Approximate duration: 1.5 hours.

Cheekbone reduction is carried out according to the following plan: after marking and making an incision, the doctor grinds the bone tissue with special equipment. This increases the likelihood of damage to the facial nerve.

The newest technique in plastic surgery is three-dimensional reduction. It involves resection of the protruding part of the cheekbone and moving it to a recessed position within the periosteum. With this method, the oval of the face changes.

After completion of the procedure, the patient is treated with antiseptics to reduce pain after recovery from anesthesia.

Fillers based on hyaluronic acid

Fillers based on hyaluronic acid have a minimum of contraindications and side effects. Such injections are not dangerous to the body, since the substance is contained in the skin and is not rejected by it. Hyaluronic acid is evenly distributed in tissues and does not affect their sensitivity.

Depending on the desired result and skin type, Surgiderm, Teosyal, Juvederm, Perlane, and Restylane are used for injection.