How Does Dermal Filler Treatment Lift the Cheeks?

If you’re noticing signs of aging in your face like wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging in the forehead, jawline, or cheeks, dermal filler treatment is a perfect way to maintain a youthful appearance. One of the common treatment areas is the cheeks because you lose facial volume as you get older.

So how does dermal filler revitalize the cheeks? Dermal filler products like Restylane Lyft, Juvederm Voluma, Juvederm Voluma XC, and Radiesse produce natural facial volume and lift the cheeks to better highlight the cheekbones and form a rounder shape. With only minor side effects, a proper cheek filler treatment will instantly plump up your cheeks for more than a year.

How Dermal Filler Provides Natural Anti-Aging Benefits in the Cheeks

Cheeks account for a large portion of our facial features. As the face ages, it loses facial volume as collagen production and facial fat decrease. This may result in disproportionate facial features, wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging or flattening of the cheeks. In severe cases where the skin may have been damaged, severe facial wrinkles and a deep nasolabial fold may start appearing in the face.

Dermal fillers are an instant non-invasive cheek augmentation treatment that can provide year-long benefits. They are made of naturally occurring chemical compounds contained in a biodegradable gel that is broken down in the skin to increase collagen production in the treated area. When it is injected into the cheeks, the added collagen will increase in plumpness, suppleness, and volume — creating organic “apple cheeks” and revealing the cheekbones.

Cheek fillers like Restylane Lyft, Juvederm Voluma, and Juvederm Voluma XC are mainly made of hyaluronic acid — a substance in the body that maintains the skin’s flexibility, elasticity, and hydration levels. As such, if done by an expert injector, the treatment has no adverse complications outside of minor to no side effects in the cheek area from the injection itself.

When You Should Get Cheek Fillers

Dermal fillers have a multitude of uses like as acne treatment, and lip augmentation, and can even fade scars. For cheek augmentation, the best signs to get dermal fillers are a decrease in volume and shape in the cheek area, a visible nasolabial fold or smile line, dark undereye shadows, and to provide natural contour in the cheekbones.

There will be an initial consultation with your dermatologist to determine the amount of filler needed and the number of injections required to properly meet your expectations. Additionally, you are an excellent candidate for cheek fillers if you:

• Are a non-smoker
• Don’t have a history of chronic illness
• Are not pregnant or breastfeeding
• Are not allergic to the ingredients of the dermal filler
• Are an adult above 21 years old
• Need a natural touch-up for your facial skin

Cheek Fillers Offered at Dr. Lanna Aesthetics

There are several products available for cheek augmentation. Though there are general dermal fillers, cheek fillers are usually designed to be thicker to provide equal and organic-looking benefits throughout the cheek area. All of these cheek fillers are readily available at Dr. Lanna Aesthetics for an efficient and effective filler injection treatment.

1. Restylane Lyft

Restylane Lyft is the first FDA-approved hyaluronic acid filler or HA filler for cheek augmentation. It is designed to successfully treat medium to severe facial wrinkles, facial folds, and sunken cheeks. Restylane Lyft also contains lidocaine — an aesthetic that will help ease injection in the cheek area.

2. Juvederm XC and Juvederm Voluma XC

Juvederm is another product line of hyaluronic acid filler that is an FDA-approved product line for lip augmentation, midface augmentation, and clear wrinkles and fine lines. Juvederm XC is used for severe facial wrinkles and skin folds within the cheeks. Just like Restylane Lyft, it also has lidocaine for a more comfortable injection.

Juvederm Voluma XC was later approved by the FDA to treat loss of facial volume and contour. Compared to the Juvederm XC, it is thicker to completely hydrate and plump up the cheek area. It can even be injected through a cannula to avoid harming any blood vessels under the skin.

3. Radiesse

Radiesse is a valid alternative as it generally lasts longer and can be used if the patient is allergic to hyaluronic acid fillers. It’s made of calcium hydroxyapatite — a synthetically made compound used to create and form bone structure. Since it’s identical to a naturally occurring chemical in the body, it will be absorbed in the cheek just as easily as a HA filler.

Though Radiesse is usually used for wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging around the nose and mouth, its flexible chemical nature allows it to be used for any areas that are lacking in volume, have wrinkles and skin folds, or have acne scarring like the cheek.

The Duration of Cheek Fillers

The general duration of dermal fillers is about a year. This largely depends on how the skin metabolizes the filler, how well the lifespan of the added collagen is maintained, and the condition of the skin. Some dermal fillers may last longer if the skin is younger, while other dermal fillers may decrease in effectiveness if there is continuous movement in the face — causing dynamic wrinkles like smile lines.

Since cheek fillers are more viscous than other dermal fillers, they will last longer than their other counterparts. For example, Restylane Silk, used for lip augmentation, will only last 6 to 10 months while Restylane Lyft injections last for a year. Juvederm XC also shares the same duration as it is a general dermal filler.

However, out of all the hyaluronic acid fillers, Juvederm Voluma XC lasts the longest with a 2-year duration. Its thicker volume ensures that the skin will need a lengthier time to fully dissolve all the filler. As an alternative designed to be more durable, Radiesse can last at least a year and up to 18 months.

All these fillers grant results instantly with benefits peaking after a 2-week period. When maintained with skincare routines and follow-up treatments, cheek filler injections will serve you beautifully for a lengthy period of time.

How to Maintain The Effects of Cheek Filler Treatment

Since the cheek area covers a good portion of the face, its overall condition may be subjected to different environmental factors and behaviors. It takes certain actions to help safeguard the benefits of cheek fillers.

1. Drink Water Frequently

64% of the skin is made up of water. Water helps regulate the skin’s elasticity and volume; maintains its pH balance; moisturizes it after exposing itself to the sun; flushes out harmful toxins, and prevents acne by protecting it from cracks and open pores. Sagging, wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of aging can appear earlier and be more visible if the skin is frequently dehydrated.

A 2007 study revealed that drinking 9.5 cups of water every day for four weeks can improve skin thickness and volume. The amount of water varies from person to person but this is a perfect natural supplement to boost the effects of cheek filler treatment and overall skin health.

2. Avoid Sun Damage

Extensive periods under the sun will leave the skin vulnerable to ultraviolet (UV) rays. This will damage the collagen and the injected cheek filler in the face, intensifying and accelerating marks of aging, blemishes, and skin discoloration while lowering the effectiveness of the treatment. UV rays may even cause skin cancer if it causes damage to the skin’s DNA.

Incorporating sunscreen after your morning or afternoon skincare routine will help defend the cheek filler from being damaged by UV rays. An SPF level of at least 30 will protect the treated cheek area for daily activities. Reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours or before going outside, but avoid prolonged exposure to heat and harsh sunlight whenever possible.

3. Don’t Consume Alcohol and Smoke

These substances cause a list of health risks with frequent and/or heavy use. Alcohol will dehydrate the skin as it takes to water and nutrients from it while it travels the bloodstream. This will make the skin smaller and thinner—endangering it to wrinkles, skin folds, and further damage. Try slowly lessening your alcohol consumption while drinking more water to rehydrate your skin.

Smoking has similar detrimental effects on the skin. Its main component, nicotine, narrows the blood vessels, stripping water, minerals, and other essential nutrients from the skin. It will also slow down the body’s natural healing process, leaving the skin vulnerable to infections. The heat from inhaling and exhaling smoke may even damage the collagen and filler in the cheeks.

Reliable and Effective Cheek Filler Treatment at Dr. Lanna Aesthetics

Sunken and unequal cheeks can be an upsetting mark on your face. However, it can instantly be improved with a few quick injections of dermal fillers. The first step is to seek an expert injector that can quickly provide the results you need with minimal to no impediments after the treatment.

At Dr. Lanna Aesthetics, we offer the finest cheek filler treatment in the U.S. We have done over 10,000 cosmetic procedures with the best products and plastic surgery technology available. Call us at (929) 565-7539 to start rejuvenating your cheeks.