What surgery method can achieve drastic hollow cheeks? (photos)

Question

Hope to find a surgery that achieves drastic hollowness under cheek bone. Obviously a cheek implant would be the first option, but this implant would not create any hollowness under the implant. Removing the buccle fat is also not a drastic enough approce. How is the underlying muscle diffrent from people with this hollowness and people without? and what can be done?

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Buccal fat extraction gives this accentuation when aggressive, but in years from now you will be unhappy you did this.  As you age, the fat atrophies and this looks good in some young men early on, but looks skeletonized years later.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Ben Talei, MD · Answer

The most straight forward method is to perform a buccal fat excision at the same time as either a Malar implant or injectables such as voluma to enhance the zygoma or cheek bone.  This produces a more significant shadow below the zygoma and zygomatic arch.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

Obviously, the models are very thin...so that helps.  The next thing is cheek implants.  You can achieve this look through different styles of cheek implants.  As for the buccal fat removal, I don't suggest this.  It'll look great now, but you will age and naturally lose that fatty tissue.  At that point, you may appear extremely thin/hollow.  Not a great look as you age.

David Alessi, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

You can achieve significant hollowing with buccal fat excision.  To remove a lot of fat, extra care must be taken to avoid vessels and nerves in the area.  If a cheek implant is added, the effect can be dramatic.  Although it is very rarely needed, simultaneous cheek liposuction could even enhance the effect even more.  The buccinator is a flat muscle and won't vary much in position with various cheek types.  Best wishes

What surgery method can achieve drastic hollow cheeks? (photos)

Answers (4)