Cheek to Cheek

Created on 23rd October 2008

Dr Maurino Joffily of Botonics answers our questions on why a cheek enhancement is such a powerful anti-ageing treatment

What is it?

A cheek enhancement restores a youthful appearance by injecting dermal filler into the cheeks. A numbing cream is applied to minimise discomfort, the injections take less than an hour and the results are instantly visible.

A cheek enhancement restores a youthful appearance by injecting dermal filler into the cheeks. A numbing cream is applied to minimise discomfort, the injections take less than an hour and the results are instantly visible.

Why is it a good anti-ageing treatment?
A youthful face is characterised by an inverted triangle shape, with the cheeks representing the wide part and the chin representing the tip of the triangle. As we age, the fat pads in our cheeks lose fullness and begin to slide down our face. This is most visible in folds running from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth, a sunken appearance around the eyes and jowling along the jaw line. Traditional anti-ageing treatments would focus on using a dermal filler to reduce the visibility of the nose to mouth lines. However, often a superior treatment will be to enhance the cheeks with a sub-dermal filler, which restores the face to the youthful, inverted triangle.

Who is this treatment most suitable for? Can it be carried out on anyone?
A cheek enhancement is most suitable for people who have minor to moderate nose to mouth lines and jowling, yet do not need or want a surgical solution such as a facelift. Typically, this includes people in their thirties to fifties. There are the usual contra-indications for dermal fillers, that your doctor should cover in the consultation.

Why is it superior to other anti-ageing treatments?
Restoring fullness to the cheeks can have an astonishingly anti-ageing effect, yet look completely natural. This is because it is affecting four areas all at once. First, it is restoring the cheeks of your youth. Second, it reduces the sunken appearance around the eyes. Third, it will reduce the  appearance of nose to mouth lines. Finally, it will subtly reduce jowling along the jaw line by lifting the skin of the face.

How long does it last?
Since facial movements break down dermal fillers, a cheek enhancement will last longer than dermal fillers to the nose to mouth lines because there is less movement in the cheeks. Depending on the product used, a cheek enhancement will last from 12 to 24 months or more before you gradually return to your pre-treatment state.

Is this a treatment you can have repeated in the future if necessary?
Yes!

What product is used?
A number of dermal fillers can be used for a cheek enhancement, including Restylane Perlane, Restylane Sub-Q and Radiesse. The cost of the cheek enhancement is directly related to how long the chosen product will last. Longer lasting products cost more of course, but usually represent better value for money over time.

What is the recovery time?
You can return to normal activities quite quickly. Many people have a cheek enhancement as a lunch-time procedure, though there is usually some noticeable redness to the cheeks on the day of treatment which resolves itself in about 24 hours. CSMUK