Flat Cheeks & Mid-Face Volume Loss
The process of facial ageing starts with structural changes on the surface and subsurface on multiple tissue layers. Changes happen to the skin, fat and muscle, as well as to the bone structure itself.
Volume loss occurs due to fat redistribution, bones becoming thinner, and muscles and ligaments loosen, which underpin the skin. As we age the natural placement of the fat pads in our face start to migrate south. All of these factors contribute to an overall aged facial appearance.
Menopause also has an effect on facial ageing. Oestrogen is responsible for stimulating the deposition of fat evenly throughout the female body. But, following menopause, there is a reduction of oestrogen levels, resulting in fat being deposited in a high concentration on the abdomen, buttocks and thighs, and less so on the face and neck.
As we get older, the youthful and healthy looking curves you once had on the upper part of your face starts to sag. Women in their late 40s, start to see the face changing from a V-shape, to a square, bottom-heavy shape. These changes lead to flat cheekbones, sunken eyes, and deeper smile lines. Unfortunately, there is not much we can do to prevent losing volume in our cheeks, as it is a natural effect of aging. But the good news is that there are several cosmetic filler options that can reverse the aging process in the cheeks by simply adding volume back.
Treatments
Fillers are the best non-surgical solution to improve cheeks. There are many different fillers available on the market today. Injectable fillers can be completed within a few minutes and results can last up to two years.
Juvederm Voluma
Voluma is FDA approved for the cheekbones and our favorite cheek filler. It is made of hyaluronic acid, a substance found naturally in the body, and lasts up to 2 years. Hyaluronic acid is a basic element in connective skin tissue. It has a hydrophilic quality, meaning it has the ability to draw and hold water. Hyaluronic acid fillers create a cushion that supports the facial tissue to replace lost volume and give you a natural youthful appearance.
By restoring volume to the mid-face, it has a great impact on the appearance of the lower face. Adding volume to your cheeks, lifts the nasolabial folds so that less filler is needed to camouflage the smile lines. When correctly placed fillers are combined with neuromodulators like Botox, Dysport or Xeomin, the effect has been likened to a “liquid facelift.” The liquid facelift is a cutting-edge technique to help rejuvenate an aging, tired face through injections rather than surgery.