Don't Get Cheekbone Injections Without Reading This First
Of the cosmetic procedures out there, cheek fillers haven't reached ubiquity like lip injections, waist-cinching tummy tucks, or Brazilian butt lifts. But New York City plastic surgeon Dr. Lara Devgan thinks more women might want to consider taking a needle to their cheek. "In the world of plastic surgeons, cheekbones are thought to represent 70% of facial beauty, and the reason for that is that they give a really pleasing architecture to the face," she says.
Like all cosmetic injection treatments, getting your cheeks plumped requires seeing a board-certified expert with the artistic eye and skill of Michelangelo. We spoke with Devgan and Dr. Sachin Shridharani to distill the most important information about cheek fillers for anyone curious about them: how the procedure works, how much it costs, and how long it lasts.
Cheek fillers have one goal: to define your cheekbones.
Dermatologists and plastic surgeons use hyaluronic acid gel to temporarily plump and fill cheekbones that have lost volume due to age or to create better symmetry. "Cheek bones are really the heart of bone structure of the face," says Devgan. "So not only do they help lift and elevate the mid face, but they give a pleasing, soft youthfulness to the upper face and also this central shadow in the mid-cheek that creates a beautiful slimness."
It's also a highly customizable procedure, she adds. Someone with a thin face might want plumper cheeks; someone with a round face might gravitate toward a more angular look. "It’s not about just putting some stuff in your face," Devgan says. "It’s about making sure that you’re achieving beautiful left and right symmetry, that you’re achieving vertical-horizontal harmony of the face and that you’re bringing out an individual’s own facial beauty."
Results depend on the type of filler.
When injected correctly, Shridharani calls cheek fillers "contour in a syringe." But that sculpted look can skew Maleficent without the right compound. "If you use filler that’s too harsh—and there are some of those out there—it creates too much angularity and takes away from the statuesque look," he cautions.
Instead, choose a doctor who prefers a high viscosity filler that includes hyaluronic acid. (Both experts we spoke with recommended Juvederm Voluma.) "It has the structure and the scaffold to really lift and create some structure in the face, but it’s still soft enough that you don’t look like you have a facial implant in place," he explains.
A post shared by Dr. Lara Devgan, MD, MPH, FACS (@laradevganmd) on Jul 21, 2019 at 4:18pm PDT
How much do cheek fillers cost?
The exact receipt depends on the level of the practitioner you're seeing, as well as how much filler is needed to help your cheeks reach their peak. Generally, the final tab can fall between $1,000 and $4,000 total for an average-sized female face.
Are there any alternatives for sculpted cheekbones?
The only other procedure known to augment deflated cheeks is an implant. While permanent, it's a pretty invasive (and time-consuming) surgery—so Devgan tells us that they've largely fallen out of fashion.
Good news: the procedure, and the recovery, pass in a blink.
Getting prepared for the procedure doesn't take long. You can expect to have a conversation with your doctor about your goals, and then he or she will take careful measurements of your face to determine exactly how much filler you'll need. Then, prior to injection, "patients typically numb for about five minutes, and then the injection itself takes five to ten minutes," says Devgan.
As for the days after, you can expect some minor swelling. Days is the key word here. "Typically there’s mild swelling," Devgan adds, "but you look very normal if you need to return to work or activities. I would say most swelling goes down in the first couple of days."
How often do you need to get injections?
Devgan and Shridharani agree that the lifespan of cheek fillers depends on the person getting the procedure, but the hyaluronic acid does dissolve slowly. Individual metabolic rates often determine how long you'll have plumped cheeks. Generally, you can expect cheek fillers to last between one and one a half years before they're totally gone.
For anyone hesitant to return to their natural look, Dr. Shridharani recommends a "booster" filler. Patients can book an appointment after nine or ten months to maintain the same level of structure, without committing to as many injections as the first go-round.
Cheek fillers don't have the controversy of larger, more invasive procedures, but they bring immediate results to the injection table. And some ways, they can look even more natural than even the most precisely tuned contour. "We as a society are liking this beautiful, classic modelesque look," Devgan notes, "but we’re also trying to strip down and have less caked on product piled on our skin. And cheekbone augmentation is a really beautiful way to do that."
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