Cheek Augmentation Paths

Cheek augmentation is the name for the options people compare when they want fuller or higher cheeks. Four approaches are described below, each in operating order: two on cheek implants, one on a midface lift and one on filler. Each ends with what to ask a surgeon.

If you are in Redmond and early in your research, start with the implant articles, then read the lift and filler articles to compare. The right path depends on your anatomy and goals, and only a licensed surgeon can judge those, so take your questions to one.

Implants, a lift or filler: the four cheek procedures

1. Cheek Implant Incision Locations: where access is made for an implant and what to ask about it.
2. Cheek Implant Surgery: the sequence of an implant procedure, from anesthesia to closure.
3. Midface Lift for Sagging Cheeks: how a midface lift is described and how it differs from adding volume.
4. Cheek Filler Treatment: the steps of an injection visit and what to confirm before one.

If you are weighing filler, a federal consumer update lists dermal filler dos and don'ts and is worth reading before any injection appointment.

Three cheek terms to know

• Augmentation: adding volume or projection, which is what an implant or filler is meant to do.
• Lift: repositioning tissue, which is what a midface lift is described as doing.
• Incision: the planned cut through which a surgeon reaches the working area.

Starting with the step you understand least

Pick the article closest to your question and read it first. Write down what you want to ask about anesthesia, incision placement and recovery. A plastic surgery society keeps a page on cheek augmentation that you can use as a second reference.

Reading about cheek procedures is not a medical assessment. A licensed surgeon should assess your own case.