There are a number of ways that a face can be subtly altered to restore or add a touch of natural good looks. It takes a skilled surgeon, with some aesthetic vision to achieve great results, but it also takes an array of tools and techniques.
Some are more common than others. We are all familiar with facelifts, fillers and products such as Botox. But some of the least well-known of all are the various implants that can be inserted to help sculpt it in cases where the natural material just isn’t there.
Cheek implants are commonly used to emphasize the patient’s cheeks. This may be to counteract some of the signs of the aging process, or to correct the balance of a face that has had other kinds of facial cosmetic surgery. For example, some patients choose to combine it with other surgeries such as chin augmentation or facelift surgeries.
The three kinds of implant shapes are:
- Malar
- Submalar
- Combined
The Malar implants sit on the cheekbones, while the submalar implants do not, and can be used to fill out the lower cheek area. A combined approach can also be used where there is a conspicuous lack of volume causing a severe aesthetic imbalance, but this is not common.
The implants can be made of a variety of materials – from solid silicone to advanced inert substances such as Medpor and ePTFE — each of which have their advantages and disadvantages. The most common is silicone, however arguably better results can be achieved with the other two types, since they couple better with the underlying skin and bone. This of course makes them more difficult to remove, if that need should arise.
Malar Cheek Implants
These are the most common, and Dr. Vitenas will use them to improve the prominence of cheekbones, while removing the “sunken look” that some patients have. This can be further enhanced with the use of facial fillers to help add volume to the cheeks if necessary.
The implants are inserted through an incision made either in the upper cheek (inside) or the lower eyelid. It might sound complex, but it is simple enough to conduct in Dr. Vitenas’s suite in around 45 minutes.
Post-surgery, talking and moving the mouth may prove difficult as the body recovers from the surgery, and full recovery will take up to a week. At that point, patients can return to work and normal daily, non-strenuous activities. Sports and other more strenuous activities can be resumed after around six weeks, but Dr. Vitenas will give you advice on specific kinds of physical activity.
Dr. Vitenas’ Houston-based practice can be reached at(281) 484-0088. You can start with a consultation, which will give both you and Dr. Vitenas a chance to see what the possibilities could be for adding cheek implants to your face; to get a sneak preview, why not take a look at the before and after galleries online?