What Do You Call the Marking Lines Drawn on the Face in Preparation for Radiesse Injections for Cheek Augmentation?

Filling cheeks is based on the individual, but the common areas are the submalar and malar (and the area between the two fat pads that tends to separate as we age), as well as the more lateral zygomal area. Tear troughs can be filled, as well, but for that I do not recommend Radiesse.

    These lines do not have a name, and they are not necessary.  Sometimes they can give the injector a road map, but it is better to be able to evaluate the changes as you are injecting and adjust accordingly.   Kenneth Hughes, MD  Los Angeles, CA

Thanks for the great question! When I use Radiesse for cheek augmentation, I will mark the patient's anatomy just like I would before doing a cheek implant placement surgery. This helps me to visualize the effects of the Radiesse and to target the specific anatomical areas that need volume. Using the detailed anatomy of the midface and orbit, Radiesse can give results that are just as good as surgery -- but this requires an expert who understands the deeper structures of the face.

It is not unusual for the physician to use a marking pen to outline the areas to be treated with a filler before injecting it.  I am not aware of any particular terminology for these markings and would just call them marking lines.  

Dear Donnasac,

The goal of the Radiesse is to provide volumization and rejuvenation, and while these two issues are closely related, they sometimes evolve in different ways as you are injecting.  Because of this, I feel that the initial markings are not as crucial as is re-evaluation of the overall aesthetic as Radiesse is injected.  Early on, I did mark patients prior to injection, but at this stage, I find markings get in the way of subtle but crucial rejuvenative changes as I inject. 

Having said that, commonly marked areas are the malar mound (cheek fat over side facial bone), nasolabial fold barriers (border between middle part of cheek and lips, also called the "parentheses" of the face), marionette line barriers (prejowl area in lower face), and temporal areas (hollows in front of side hairline).  The markings help define specific aesthetic subunits of the face.  

 

Thanks again for your question.  Hope this helps.

 

AJD