How Cheek Lifts Work

When it comes to facial plastic surgery, everyone knows what a facelift is. And yes, it’s a highly effective option for anyone who wants to look and feel younger (as many as 12 years younger, according to a study released last year)—but what if you don’t need a procedure quite so extreme? What if only some areas of your face need attention?

Well, if you’re a person for whom the effects of aging have mostly centered on your cheek area, you might not need a facelift—you might need a cheek lift instead. The procedure is more common than you might think; many people experience a concentration of wrinkles or sagging skin on the cheeks as they grow older, and their cheeks can begin to develop a depressed or hollow appearance. As the cheeks descend, they can also drag down the lower eyelids and deepen the upper half of the smile lines, making the face look tired and aged.

In a cheek lift, I go beneath the surface of the problem, repositioning not only the cheek fat, but also the underlying fascia and muscle, in an upward direction. The incisions for the procedure are actually made beneath the lower eyelash line (as in a blepharoplasty), so the scars are minimal and can easily be concealed with makeup after the first three days of healing. In less than two weeks, the swelling and bruising is gone, and you are left with smooth cheeks, softened smile lines, and more youthful, rested-looking eyes.

If you’re interested in more information about cheek lifts or other plastic surgery procedures that can take years off of your face, contact me for a free consultation!