The Best Filler for Cheeks
Do you notice a flatness in your mid-cheek, a crease interrupting the once full apple, deeper tear troughs, or feel like your face is ‘falling?’ You aren’t alone.
Most patients in their 30’s have begun to notice similar changes in their mid-face. Fat loss and downward descent, bone reabsorption, and diminishing collagen stores are all to blame for the loss of the once contoured cheeks we all loved in our 20’s. There is good news! This volume loss can be replaced with a little help from one of our favorite fillers!
Restylane Lyft is a hyaluronic acid-based, gel-like filler that can be placed directly on the bone in the cheeks, chin, and jawline to restore volume loss and create that beautiful contoured look that everyone is searching for on Instagram. Lyft is in the Galderma portfolio of dermal fillers along with Restylane Kysse, Refyne, Defyne, and Restylane Silk. While all of these are amazing products, Restylane Lyft is uniquely suited for the cheeks or areas that need a great degree of structure or...LIFT. (Isn’t that cute?)
If you heard me mention placing the filler on the bone and are a little concerned, don’t be. We apply a topical numbing cream to the skin for 20-30 minutes before your treatment to numb the superficial layers of skin. You do not feel discomfort when the needle gently taps the bone. By placing the product on the bone we ‘lift’ the tissues back to their desired location by replacing volume lost due to weight loss and aging. Because of the product being placed deeper in the facial tissue, the results appear very smooth and natural.
Are there other fillers that can be placed in the cheeks? Yes.
Juvederm Voluma is another popular filler that can be placed in the chin and cheeks. It works in a similar manner to Restylane Lyft and differs primarily in cost as it has been studied to potentially last slightly longer. Both are great options, but Lyft is affordable and performs beautifully in the hands of a skilled injector.
Many patients ask, “Why can’t I use the same filler in my lips and my cheeks?” or “Why can’t we split the syringe between my cheeks and jawline?”
That answer lies in the fact that most patients over 30 years old need 1-2 syringes of filler per cheek to correct volume loss and to support the orbital rim/tear trough region. Secondary to that is the fact that all fillers are not designed the same. Juvederm Vobella and Revanesse Versa+ have significantly less firmness than Restylane Lyft and Voluma. That’s great because we don’t want bulky projection in the lips or soft flexibility in the cheeks.
The cheeks need support to hold up the muscle, fat pads, connective tissue, and skin so a structurally firmer product should be used. Lips need support but flexibility to look natural with expression. Make sense?