Sudden Fat Loss in Cheeks - What Happened?

Question

24 years old, I lost my cheeks in a few weeks... It's horrible :( I alwys had full cheeks until 6 months ago when in a few weeks I completely lost my cheek fat& feel like some fat moved down(maybe it's just an impression caused by the fact that the cheeks are so empty) & my skin is much less firm. can it be due to facial exercises i started about 1 month before that (to prevent aging :/) ? or a small pb i have at the mandibular articulations which creates tensions in my face sometimes, maybe agravated by the gym? wt can i do? cn it come back naturally?

Steven L. Ringler, MD, FACS · Answer

Facial atrophy is very uncommon, but it can be treated with facial fat transplantation or grafting.  Recently this technique has gained increased attention because of the advances with water-assisted liposuction (Body-Jet) for fat harvesting.  The advantage of Body-Jet is that the fat cells aren't damaged in the process of being removed and, therefore, they have a higher survival rate than fat cells transferred with other techniques.  Because these fat cells  also contain stem-cells, this may provide an extra benefit for treating facial atrophy.

Edward O. Terino, MD · Answer

hi Demoizelle ,In the presence of perfect health fat loss in the face is a natural occurrence which accompanies the aging process, and sometimes makes faces look less attractive.As others have mentioned, fat grafting may help but takes many treatments and may not look natural especially if there is a later significant weight gain.Midface cheek implants are an excellent permanent solution but can also be removed without harm if they become unwanted.It is unusual to lose facial "baby fat" at your age but exercise and weight loss can certainly be a natural cause Dr Edward o Terino ,

Zain Kadri, MD · Answer

I have seen a similar instance in  a 24 year old girl before. It is described as Idiopathic adipose distrophy  and no definite causes has  been  attributed in a otherwise healthy person. It can happen to fat in other parts of the body also. Ihe process may be atrophy (wasting) or hypertohy(increase). We are learning more about adipose tissue and some of the findings are surprising. There is a slim chance the process my reverse or you may opt for fat transplantation with adult stem cell to restore the contour.

Sudden Fat Loss in Cheeks - What Happened?

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Sudden Fat Loss in Cheeks - What Happened?

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