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Mid Face Lift to Address Cheek Issue?

asked 3 years ago by canadaben in Toronto, Canada
Latest answer by Rod J. Rohrich, MD
Question viewed 3,532 times
Tags: cheeks, nasolabial folds

At 33 years old, I am noticing some negative changes in my mid face, where I am starting to develop nasolabial folds. I'm not really sure if I should get injections or a mid face lift, or both to fix the problem in my cheeks. I don't mind taking a few weeks off to recover from the mid face lift, and would much rather do it once and get it over with, since I hear the fillers can be extremely high maintenance and usually have to be repeated every 6-7months.

14 answers to Mid Face Lift to Address Cheek Issue?

Be careful with meddlesome surgery

A cheeklift is not to be taken lightly. Procedures which elevate the midface to the extent that they reduce the nasolabial fold usually are subperiosteal procedures done through the mouth and the temple. They elevate in an upward and lateral direction, increasing the distance between the cheekpads (intermalar distance). This can create a flat artifact. Also hyperelevation of the cheekpads can cause a catlike appearance or bunching to the side of the eyes. In young patients, filler with... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

Mid-Face Cheek Lift Challenges

The challenges of facial aging remain that we have loss of central facial fat compartments as well as skin sagging causing jowl atrophy. In general, in a patient that has volume loss without skin sagging I would recommend facial fillers to restore malar contour and shape. As one ages, I would usually recommend a true “Lift & Fill” facelift versus a mid-facelift done through the eyelid and cheek area. The “mid-facelift” has significant morbidity and complications... more

Rod J. Rohrich, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Optimal choice for early aging of the face

Based on your photos you do not need any surgical procedures at this time. I perform mid-face lift in a younger population routinely, but only if the facial anatomy calls for it. In your case judicious use of longer lasting fillers will correct some of the contour issues of your face, like Nasolabial folds, prominent muscle bulges at the corners of your mouth, etc. The field of facial surgery is full of gimmicks and sub-par procedures. A face lift is not one specific... more

Boris M. Ackerman, MD
Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon

Midfacelift to address cheek issues

The part about the fillers needing to be repeated every 8 to 12 months is in fact true. However, midfacelifts, while they can create a significant improvement in midfacial fullness (elevating up the midcheek fat pad) and jowls, the improvement in the nasolabial folds is not always as much as desired, so sometimes these need to be filled anyway.

Jeffrey Epstein MD, FACS
Miami Facial Plastic Surgeon

Midface volume loss

Reviewing your photos, suggest the opposite, you have planty of midface volume. I agree that a lift won't help with your nasolabial folds. Filling them is your best choice. Keep in mind that even children have nasolabial folds. But as we age, we assign blame for the aging process on these folds. They are not all bad.

Robert M. Freund, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Mid facelift will not fix nasal labial folds

A mid facelift will not fix nasal labial folds. Nasal labial folds are best treated with either fascia grafts as a standalone surgical procedure, or filler such as Restylane and Perlane.

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Do Fillers or Fat

You are too young to have a midface lift. And as much as I want the midface lift to fix the nasolabial folds it won't do as much as you think. It's more for restoring the cheek fullness rather than correcting the folds. Filler are really designed for this problem but you are right in that they're not permanent. Fat can also be a good alternative. It can be permanent but it is highly unpredictable and therefore may need to be repeated.

Christopher L. Hess, MD
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

Fill your midface and nasolabial's

Based on your photo, I would not suggets a midfacelift. It seems as though you have some slight midface volume lose, you do not look like a candidate to raise the midface, by filling it it will advance 3-dimensionally and give the appearance of a lift if done correctly. I would recommend starting with filers, then if you like the results you could get fat transfer. You are years away from needing to lift the midface.

Robert Schwarcz, MD
New York Oculoplastic Surgeon

Midface Lift with Facial Fat Grafting

I have had much experience with midface lift and other facial cosmetic surgery procedures. considering your picture and your age, I suggest a combination of facial fat grafting and midface lift. Of course, you can consider fillers, but it would not last as long, and over time it will cost more than the surgery.

S. Sean Younai, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Be careful what you wish for.

Dear Canadaben As the other doctor's point out, a midface lift is not to be entered into lightly. You do have an issue. The safest way to help the nasolabial fold is with filler. I might also suggest that you have your bite assessed by an orthodontist to see if there is an issue with you occlusion. However, let me warn you regarding having a midface lift for this particular problem. Midface lifts are done to address a fall in the malar/cheek soft tissues. The is essentially no... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Fillers would be a good option at this point

Losing volume in your face can lead to the nasolabial folds becoming more prominent. A midface lift is not a favorite procedure of mine. I think it shifts tissue upwards but it doesn't address the nasolabial folds significantly. The reason for this is because I think that the folds are really due to a significant volume loss in the cheek and lower eyelid region and bringing more youth back entails adding volume back to these areas. Fillers are a great way to do this. But they... more

Philip Young, MD
Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

Face looks too young for surgery.

Hi! I am a great believer in the mid face lift (no visible scars), and we do them frequently here in Manhattan. But you are not even close to needing one. There is just not enough sagging to correct. 1) You look a lot younger than you think. This is a common problem. 2) A little Juvederm every 9 months may make you happier.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Stick with the 'fillers' and stay 'on the road'

I don't think a midface lift would make a large difference to you, and it's a lot of surgery. The fillers need repeating every 3-6 months, but are a simple office procedure with no downtime. Save the surgery for when you need it.

G. Gregory Gallico III, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

Mid face surgery a big step at your age...think about it.

I agree strongly with Dr. Moelleken in his recommendations. You are young and you will age. What does that mean? No procedure is permanent. Even if you were to achieve a successful cheek lift, (which is a challenging operation which can be easy to overcorrect or undercorrect) the results will not last forever. At your age it is inevitable that you will need additional procedures to maintain the result which may need to be repeated within 7-10 years, the average life of a facelift. In other... more