How to Get Chubby Cheeks

You are a perfect candidate for fat transfer to the face. We can take fat from your belly, hips, or thighs. I prefer thighs, but they do all work. The fat then can be used to augment your cheeks, lift your brow, transition the eye sub-unit to the cheek sub-unit, and sculpt the lips and jawline. This is my favorite procedure as it makes patients very happy.
Hope this helps.
Best of luck,
DrC

Thank you for your question and photos. You can add fullness and definition to the cheeks with three different treatment options. The first is injectable dermal filler, which is placed into the cheeks to get the additional volume you want. Fillers are quick and relatively comfortable, but the results are temporary. You will likely need to schedule treatment sessions every 6-18 months to maintain your positive results. The second option is facial fat transfer. This treatment removes excess fat from another area of the body like the abdomen or hips and injects the removed fat into the cheeks to create more fullness. Because your own fat is used, the result can be quite natural and also tends to last much longer than fillers.

The last option is surgical cheek implants, which would give you the definition you are looking for permanently. This procedure can be performed using local anesthesia and incisions inside the mouth to place the implants. All of these procedures should be performed by either an experienced injector or a board-certified facial plastic surgeon to ensure the best possible results.

Fat grafting to the face can greatly improve the hollowness of the face and create volume where it is needed. The fat tissue that survives after the transfer will also likely be permanent. Best to consult a board certified facial plastic surgeon to discuss your options in person after a physical examination.Hope this helps,Ali Rıza Öreroğlu, MD FEBOPRASEuropean and Turkish Board Certified Aesthetic, Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeonIstanbul, Turkey

Dear Happylife1,You can either inject filler or fat into your cheeks to create more fullness and roundnessIt should be done by an expert injector who can help guide your decisionBest regards,

Dr. Nima

Member, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon

Board Certified in Head and Neck Surgery

 

Fillers can be great for restoring volume to sunken cheeks. Hyaluronic
acid gel fillers such as Voluma can add immediate volume, while collagen building
fillers such as Sculptra can help to gradually restore volume and add contour
with long-lasting results. I recommend visiting a board-certified dermatologist
with experience in injectable fillers for an in-person consultation to find the
right treatment plan for you.

You are very lucky that you have fat in your abdomen that can be transferred to your cheeks and face. Many people in your situation have no fat anywhere else on their body to donate! I do recommend some fat in your temples as well as your cheeks to give you a healthier, more athletic look. Best of luck!

Fat Transfer Results Are Long Lasting and Excellent for Making Cheeks fuller

Fat Cells that survive the transfer process continue to live like other fat cells. Therfore the results are long lasting. The problem is not all transferred fat survives the process. In the face more than 75% may survive and more than 60% in the buttocks.. Of most interest is that the fat that does survive behaves as if it was still in the donor site. Therefore as the surrounding native fat tends to atrophy the transferred fat will not. Over time you will notice that the area may not be as full as it once was, but more than likely it is because of the native fat atrophy rather than the transferred fat.

Fat Grafting Results Permanent improvement in most cases. Micro fat grafting, also called structural fat grafting involves multiple injections of very small amounts  of fat injected in a series of discrete layers to allow for better revascularization and "take", gradually increasing the volume of  new soft tissue. My experience is that it is a great minimally invasive procedure for cheek augmentation.

Fat Cells that survive this transfer process continue to live like other fat cells. Therefore the results are long lasting. The problem is not all transferred fat survives the process. In the face for example it has been estimated that up to 60%  or more will survive in the cheek region. Of most interest is that the fat that does survive behaves as if it was still in the donor site. Therefore as the surrounding native fat tends to atrophy the transferred fat will not. Over time you will notice that the area may not be as full as it once was, but more than likely it is because of the native fat atrophy rather than the transferred fat.

 

I would recommend Fat Injections not Filler because:
1) Filler Requires ongoing maintenance but fat is a one time permanent option.
2) Filler is Time Consuming over time you will spend countless visits
3) Filler is more painful
4) Filler is MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE
5) Filler can lead to an uneven and unnatural look
6) Fat offers a "stem cell effect" to the skin which makes skin more radiant, less wrinkled and this benefit is not present with fillers.

There are several options for improving facial volume including malar (cheek bone) implants, submalar (below the cheekbone) implants, fillers, and fat grafting.  Implants and fat grafting are considered surgical and permanent options.  Fillers are temporary options.  There is one filler available in the US called Sculptra Aesthetic which is great for overall facial volume.  The treatment is a solution that stimulates your body to make more collagen as the product degrades.  The collagen/volume that your body creates builds over about 3 months for a natural overall increase in volume that is long-lasting.  Sculptra usually requires a series of 3 injections, spaced about 4 weeks apart for the full effect.  All of these options have advantages and disadvantages.  I recommend a consultation with a qualified surgeon to have an exam and discuss options in detail.        

The two major treatment options are fillers, fat grafting and implants. Depending on what the patient goals are, the characteristics of the skin and bone we make the recommendation of which of these treatments are better for each individual patient.