What can be done about my flat cheekbones? (Photo)

​Volume and contouring of the cheeks can be created with well-placed fillers (Voluma, Radiesse, Bellafill) and Sculptra. Implants or fat are alternatives. Botox and radiofrequency can help slim and contour the jawline. Liposuction can help slim the face. Ultherapy, J Plasma and RF treatments can provide skin tightening and lift. I would recommend getting a formal evaluation with a facial sculpting expert. Best, Dr. Emer​

Thank you for your question. You have listed the two primary methods of cheek augmentation here - injectable fillers and cheek implants. Both of these choices can produce very good results for you. Injectables do not require any anesthesia or downtime and the results are evident right away. However, the improvement is temporary and you will need to repeat the treatment to maintain your positive results. Cheek implants are a surgical procedure that involves the placement of silicone implants into the cheek area. The procedure is done using local anesthesia and incisions inside the mouth to eliminate visible scarring. Recovery is about one week and the results can be both dramatic and very long-lasting. No matter which method you choose, make sure it is performed by an experienced, board-certified facial plastic surgeon to ensure the best possible results.

You are correct there are two options to correct flat appearing cheek bones, fillers and permanent implants. I would recommend you consider fillers first to the zygoma or cheek area which could help to make your face appear less round as they are injected directly on the bone to augment the cheek area and change a round to a more oval or square appearing face. If you like the effect, you can then switch to a cheek implant that does the same thing and is a permanent option although it is a surgical procedure. I like to recommend my patients try fillers first to make sure they like the effect since implants would have to be removed if you were not happy with that effect. I would recommend a consultation with a board certified facial plastic surgeon in your area.

Thank you for your great question and photos. Dermal fillers, when placed appropriately and in the correct quantities, can create appropriate restoration of volume in the frontal part of your cheek and in many cases can actually slim the face. Dermal fillers can last about a year and can give you a nice result. Most hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved. An experienced provider can examine you with proper lighting and give you an appropriate assessment and plan to address volume decrease in the front without adding volume on the sides of your cheeks.

Your best and only permanent option is cheek implants. I am not sure where the information comes from that says they are not used much. While filler is far more common done it is not permanent nor does does it have a true bone enhancing effect. While cheek implants are a good option for you your cheek augmentation needs are unique as you have described them and as our pictures show. That is a more anterior type off cheek augmentation that does not widen the face. That takes the proper selection of implant style and unique placement with screw fixation to get the type of cheek augmentation effect you desire. 

The way I deal with requests like this is to inject some dilute local anesthetic and saline into the cheek. This duplicates the effect of enlarging the cheekbone. You can see if you like it.  It goes away in 10 minutes, so the whole process is like trying on clothes before you buy them. 
You can then make an informed decision of what to do. Generally its fillers.