Does ArteFill Work for Cheek Augmentation?

You may see from my several other posts how opposed I am to fillers of this nature.

I wil'll tell you about my experience with this filler and the unfortunate patients who suffered long term complications requiring surgery.

Artefill is not approved by the FDA for cheek implants, and should not be routinely advocated for that purpose.

Cheek augmentation requires a relatively large volume to achieve an effect. Depending on the position of the augmentation, it may be above the zygomatic (cheek) bone or the midfacial muscles of expression. The poly methyl methacrylate beads contained in Artefill get into tissues. They do not stay exactly where you place them.

Large volumes of synthetic substances injected into the face are particularly worrisome. The body cannot develop a blood supply in the injected material to defend itself against the bacteria that are in the region.

I have personally surgically removed many such deposits of many different semipermanent fillers, some available only in Europe (Aquamid for instance) and replaced them with LiveFill (fascial fat grafts). The surgical removal is difficult and fraught with problems because the material can migrate around deep nerves and cause chronic pain syndromes; surgery to remove the material will necessarily involve dissection around the nerves and is by its nature incomplete since the material infiltrates the tissues themselves. In the cheek the infraorbital nerve is particularly vulnerable.

If you develop an infection years later, or a chronic inflammatory reaction, you may have no way of removing the Artefill. Likewise if the Artifill beads migrate over time and the appearance changes or becomes deformed, there is no way to remove them completely.

If however you have a silastic cheek implant, these implants can typically be removed from inside the mouth easily and completely and replaced with a different implant or LiveFill (fascial fat grafts) if they should become visible or the patient does not like their shape. Many patients in our practice have LiveFill grafts placed in well defined pockets. These completely autologous (natural to the patient) grafts maintain their shape and volume over time as studied by 3-D CT scans and clinical photographs.

As with many treatments, the correct treatment is not necessarily the cheapest or most convenient.

Artefill is great for cheek augmentation. It can last 5 - 10 years or more so it can be a great value. Some patients wonder why anyone would get other fillers due to its longevity. It is a more expensive filler, and is considered semi permanent which is its down side (if not placed correctly), as well as its upside (fantastic longevity). It has a smooth, natural feeling, and is developing one of the best safety profiles in the injectable market. It can be injected very close to the surface for precision correction of small wrinkles as well as injected deep to push things up for fuller cheeks.

The concept of permanence is very appealing in a filler, for obvious reasons.  You have a filler injected and the result lasts forever, right? Wrong.  Aging is multifactorial and dynamic.  Regardless of what a person has done aesthetically, the face will continue to change with age.  I have seen patients 5 years and longer after having PMMA (the key ingredient of Artefill) injected with swelling, lumps, and other issues.  My best advice is to be careful of permanent products, whihc may last in ways that you don't want them to.

Yes, Artefill is a filler that can be use to volumize the cheeks, helping you attain a more youthful appearance.

Any filler that does not absorb has the long term potential for migration, lumping or granuloma formation.  Artefill has been approved for filling of the smile lines which does not require large amounts of filler. 

Smaller augmentations of the cheeks and chin can be safe if properly performed  with small amounts of filler.  These however have not been studied enough for FDA approval and therefor are considered off-label uses.

A personal consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon would be in your best interest.  Cheers

 

Yes, we use Artefill quite often in our practice for adding volume to nasolabial folds, chin and cheekbones.  The real safety and results is tied to the doctor who is injecting the product.  This goes with any technique or service.  Artefill usually proves great success with our patients.

Yes, Artefill is an appropriate filler to use for cheek augmentation.  I have found that almost all of the dermafillers may be used for this application when placed correctly.  In my practice, we most frequently use Radiesse for the cheeks, Perlane for around the eyes, and Juvederm for the nose, lips, and cheeks.

Artefill will perform well for cheek augmentation because in this location it may be placed deep enough under the skin to give a pleasing aesthetic change and not be at risk for palpation or skin injury.

I would recommend having a very skilled and experienced injector perform any Artefill treatments, since it is not reversible.

Good luck in your search!

I am very pleased on the results I have achieved with my patients using dermafillers for the cheek area, for example click the link below.

Good Day.
Bellafill has been shown by previous studies and a current clinical study, presented at a recent cosmetic surgery conference by myself, to be safely injected in all facial areas, except for the bulk of the lip. 
Most physicians who are negative in the use of the product, lack adequate experience. How do I know this?
I used to be one of them. I thought, why would you want to inject a plastic type material in a dermal filler in your face. I had, and other physicians may have, the following concerns:
1. Granuloma formation (firm area)
2. Risk of infection
3. Concern of treatment of over-injection
The answer to these questions may lay most of your concerns. The incidence of granuloma formation in four studies for FDA approval showed an incidence of 1.7%. I have injected over 1600 syringes and have had no granulomas. A medical practice I became medical director, who injected Bellafill from 2007 to 2013 had three small granulomas, all of which resolved with 1-3 Kenalog injections.
I have never seen a patient with a facial infection associate with Bellafill. PMMA, a component in Bellafill, is used safely in neurosurgery and maxillofacial surgery.
Careful injection of any filler (not to over inject) is essential. If more filler or volume results, Kenalog and 5-FU can be injected to absorb the volume created by collagen production. Rarely is surgical excision necessary. In my experience, 2 patients requested surgical excision who refused steroid attempts.
Facial Volume Replacement Options:
Temporary:
1. Hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Restylane an Juvaderm
2. Sculptra or L-Lactic acid to stimulate collagen synthesis. The manufacturer suggests that the volume effect lasts about two years.
Permanent:
1. Facial silastic implants
2. Facial fat transfer with platelet rich plasma and stem cells
3. Bellafill. Injection in the proper anatomical site, injecting amounts that are not excessive, and minimizing side effects by using a microcannula.
In my expert opinion, if you are desiring cheek or malar fullness with no other areas of volume loss, a silastic malar or combined mid face implant, is best. The other advantage of the implant is that it is the best technique to provide a face lift of the overlying soft tissues.
When there is significant facial volume loss throughout, facial fat transfer adding platelet rich plasma, processing the fat for purification, such as in the MediKan centrifugation and filtration system and possibly adding your own stem cells (proper nomenclature is stromal vascular fraction cells) is best. Two thirds of the volume injected remains long term, since about 20% of the fat cells die and 15% of the injected volume is salt water, that leaves two thirds of the tissue remaining. Additionally, you can store unused harvested fat in a cryo bank, such as American Cryostem, for future injection. The fat transfer volume will finalize within 2 months and thawing of the stored fat, FedEx to your office over night and then reinjection to ares of the face that remain deficient would be recommended.
Also, Bellafill is the only dermal filler FDA approved for injection for volume replacement in acne scarring patients.Smaller needed volume of a permanent filler may make Bellafill the best choice in this situation.
In summary, Bellafill is a safe long-term filler (most likely permanent) that can be used in any anatomical areas of the face, except for the bulk of the lip. Any fillers expertise is not necessarily in the filler, but in the injector! Alternative permanent volume options include fat transfer or silastic implants.
Good luck with whatever treatment option you choose. Remember, no treatment is an option as well.

Artefill is perfect for cheek augmentation. It will last at least 5 years so it is a
great value. I have patients who wonder
why anyone would get any other filler.
It is smooth, natural feeling and has one of the best safety profiles in
the injectable market. In addition, it
can be injected very close to the surface for precision correction of any
problems or deep to push things up for fuller cheeks.



I think you will live it as a cheek augmentation filler.



I hope that helps.



Best regards.

Trials of this product were done around a decade ago in the US. One of the doctors who was very experienced in using this was a good friend of mine so there are many patients in my area with this product in place. It is basically a microbead-like form of the same cement material used to anchor in a prosthetic hip or artificial knee joint.
If it becomes infected later, which it can, and if it forms draining granulomas, which it can, there is an extremely difficult problem to treat. This results in permanent scars and often pain and it is typically not possible to remove all of the material. Avoid all permanent fillers!!