What causes my ”bulldog” like cheeks and what to do about them? (Photo)

Question

I’ve always had a roundish face no matter how much I weigh. My cheeks are heavier at the bottom which makes my face a bit like a bulldog’s - they are drooping and creating lines next to my nose and mouth. I don’t have prominent cheekbones so there’s not a lot of support. I’m 26 and slim (110 lbs). Now I have some fillers in my upper cheeks and cheekbones but it doesn’t totally get rid of the problem. What can I do?

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

most of my younger patients do buccal fat pad reduction, facetite/liposuction of the neck, and fillers to chin/cheeks/jawline/temples,  to give them a more chiseled face.  see my IG and links. at home derma-rolling should be started to Improve texture and tone and tightening along jawline (see link where we have a recommended daily skincare and weekly MTS + anteageMD derma-rolling protocol).

For facial slimming a combination of treatments are always needed.  Options include:

1. Buccal fat pad removal to reduce fat on the lower face
2. Factite or Renuvion/J Plasma to tighten the lower face, jawline, and chin to reduce fat and give the jawline and neck tightening and shaping.
3. Botox to the masseter to reduce the muscular size of the jaw giving the face an illusion of being more slender
4. Fillers to the jawline, chin, cheeks, temples and brow help to shape the face and make it more angled and defined

most of my younger patients consider...
5. deep microneelding RF like morpheus every 2-3 months forever to further improvement tightening
6. early face/neck lift if you want a really tight contour and the most extreme improvement in jawline and neck shaping
7. threads, PDO or Instalift, after neck surgery/facetite to further improve the outcomes and give them long term collagen production and shaping
8. Thermage (radio frequency heating) and Ultherapy (ultrasound muscle tightening) yearly to prevent sagging in the future

See an expert who does facial shaping with surgical and non surgical methods to get a comprehensive option.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Ned Snyder, IV, MD · Answer

Thank you for submitting your questions and photos! Based on the information you provided, you may be a good candidate for buccal fat excision. This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure where a small incision is placed inside the mouth. This procedure works well to remove excess volume from the mid/lower cheek, providing a thinner, more streamlined contour of the lower face, jowls, etc. There may be other options for you as well, both surgical and nonsurgical that can improve the appearance of your cheeks. I'd recommend you consult a plastic surgeon to review all of your options! Good luck and thanks again for reaching out.

What causes my ”bulldog” like cheeks and what to do about them? (Photo)

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What causes my ”bulldog” like cheeks and what to do about them? (Photo)

Answers (2)

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Cheek Augmentation

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.