Cheek Implants for Under Eye Circles and Overall Facial Flatness?

asked 2 years ago by Sayde in Midwest
Latest answer by Michael Law, MD
Question viewed 1,713 times
Tags: face, under eyes, dark circles, flat

I'm 28 now, and have had very dark circles under eyes since I was about 10, so I am fairly certain it is hereditary. I also have a very flat face, with no noticeable cheekbones. I'm most interested in a permanent solution instead of fillers that only last a short time. Would cheek implants by themselves help the dark circles at all, or would I need them in conjunction with some other undereye implant? I think I need something pretty aggressive, as I have tried everything non-surgical and have not seen anyone with as bad of circles as mine. Thank you!

5 answers to Cheek Implants for Under Eye Circles and Overall Facial Flatness?

Under Eye Circles

With each passing year I find myself performing less 'invasive' lower lid surgery (i.e a formal lower blepharoplasty) and more lower lid rejuvenation by means of structural fat grafting. The reality of aggressive lower lid surgery - which involves some combination of skin excision, fat pad reduction and/or fat pad transposition, orbicularis (muscle) redraping and excision, and canthal support (to hold up the lateral aspect of the lower lid while everything heals) - can easily... more

Michael Law, MD
Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

Cheek and/or orbital rim implants may be the way to go for you

Fillers are great for temporary solutions, as you stated. It sounds like you have a deficiency of your cheekbones. What that does is create a shadow under your eyes. If you lay back, I would bet that the dark circles go away. This is because the skin isn't pigmented, but your eyes are casting a shadow. This is what we call a "negative vector." There are a number of implants that might be applicable. The come in many sizes and shapes. Some augment just the cheeks, some just the rim... more

Steven J. Pearlman, MD
New York Facial Plastic Surgeon

Cheek implants for facial flatness

Cheek implants are placed through the mouth, in the gingival sulcus and are used for malar hypoplasia, which is when the cheeks are very flat. The cheeks themselves will not help the dark circles around the eyes. Makeup is the best treatment for dark circles in the lower lids. Make sure that any allergies are controlled with antihistamines and nasal sprays.

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Cheek and Under-Eye Implants

Cheek implants are very effective for cheek and midface enhancement. For the under eye region, specifically designed implants are available (a.k.a. tear trough implants), but, personally, I am not a big fan of them. Rather, I believe that fat grafting is preferable if you are looking for long-lasting results.

Frank P. Fechner, MD
Worcester Facial Plastic Surgeon

Lower Eyelid Problems and Midface Anatomy

It is possible that cheek implants will help this problem. It really depends on whether there are hollows betweeen the lower eyelid and the midface or cheek. When there is poor bony support to the cheek fat, a separation between the lower eyelid and the cheek can develop, creating the appearance of puffy eyelids, which often look darker due to the shadowing. Those patients also tend to have deep nasolabial folds, another consequence of midface or malar fat descent. If you have none of these... more

Richard W. Westreich, MD
Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgeon

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