Do You Lose Cheekbone Definition on the Side of the Face After a SMAS Facelift?

Facelifts do not change the underlying bony skeleton in any way. If your surgery was within the last few months, it is more likely that you have swelling of the cheek fat that will go down over time.

Hope this helps and best of luck.

The contour and shape of the face does change after a facelifting procedure. In some cases, the initial swelling that occurs post-operatively makes the face look different after surgery in a negative way. Over time, this swelling improves and resolves. That being said, the bone structure does not change, but the soft tissue over and around the underlying bone structure moves around. This results in a different shape to the face, so it is possible that very prominent cheek bones might be less prominent if soft tissue has filled in areas of volume loss that were present pre-operatively.
If more cheekbone definition is desired after a facelift, this can be created with fat transfer, injectable fillers, or even cheek implants.
All the best,

There are numerous interpretations of a SMAS facelift. A High SMAS facelift will reposition the cheek vertically and should actually improve the cheek volume and not flatten it. A vertical type lift should have this effect, but a lateral pull or lower facelift may flatten and overpull this region.

It's an excellent question. As we age tissue descend and lose volume. What you may have noticed is that the tissue over your cheekbone descended and filled in the hollow portion of your cheek. This would cause your cheekbones to appear less full, and the area below your cheekbones to appear more full. Overall the lower portion of the face can appear more full. This can give the face a boxy appearance.The SMAS is a connective tissue layer that covers the face and is continuous with the platysma muscle in the neck. A SMAS facelift re-elevates the SMAS and pulls the sagging tissue up into a more youthful position. A SMAS facelift should add volume to the cheekbones and help restore the aesthetic hollow of the cheeks below the cheekbones. The facelift should soften the nasolabial fold, soften marionette lines, and improve jowling. Jowling is the result of this sagging tissue moving below the jawline.Facial deflation is common during aging and can contribute significantly to an aged appearance. Fat grafting performed at the time of a facelift operation can restore volume to the face. Fat transfer takes fat from another place in the body using liposuction techniques. The fat is then injected under the skin into specific areas of the face. The majority of the transferred fat will obtain a new blood supply within the face. The fat that does live will provide long-lasting volume. Common areas for fat transfer include the cheekbones (malar area), nasolabial fold, tear trough, supraorbital rim (brow), and temporal area.Rejuvenation of the neck is commonly performed at the same time as a facelift. It involves removing excess fat from above and below the platysma. The platysma is commonly sewn together in the midline to help redefine the angle between the area below the chin and the neck (cervicomental angle). Excess skin from the neck is removed with incisions placed behind the ear.A facelift should leave patients looking more youthful, refreshed, and should restore volume to the cheekbone area.

Hard to say without photos.  The SMAS facelift has really become the "gold standard." The soft tissue is re-positioned, most patients notice increased definition over the cheekbone area.  Again, everyone is different  Please discuss the operation in detail with your experienced surgeon. Ask questions, and tell him your concerns. 

The short answer is: No you should not lose any cheekbone definition following a SMAS facelift. In fact you will probably gain some.

A SMAS lift in general refers to any facelift technique that tightens the SMAS layer along with the overlying skin, and underling cheek pad in a more youthful position making you look younger. Specifically the SMAS face lift does its magic by lifting and tightening the jowls, neck, and cheek fat to a more rejuvenated position. These techniques generally produce more natural and long-lasting results than the "skin only" face lifts, and now considered by most board certified plastic surgeons as the most preferred method.

 

The loss of cheek definition may be due to swelling.  If the loss of definition is still present after 12 months, you may want to consider cheek implants or fillers.

I actually enjoy doing facelifts on women with great cheekbones, because 9 times out of 10, it will be a "home-run".  A well-performed SMAS facelift should certainly not reduce the prominence of your cheekbones.  It should help to give you the classic feminine heart-shaped face, and eliminate jowling, clean up your jaw line, and put the "apple of the cheeks" back where it used to be.

All the best,

Not sure what happened to you but one of the purposes of a facelift is to move volume from the lower face to the upper face.  This restores a more youthful appearance, enhancing the cheeks at the expensive of the jowls.

A well performed SMAS Facelift should accentuate your mid-facial region and should not detract from it.  The "high-SMAS" technique as described by Connell, allows for elevation of the cheek pad in addition to the jowl area, preventing the "lateral sweep" look.  In the past, a technique known as "buccal fat pad removal" was employed, leading to a gaunter, more hollowed-out appearance.  This technique has largely fallen out of favor and is not commonly performed.

SMAS facelift surgery, or similar variations, generally do not alter the midface or cheek areas. Face lift surgery does not alter the bone structure. Patients with well-defined cheek bones should maintain them after cosmetic face surgery. Fat injections may also be performed in combination with lower face lift, neck lift, or SMAS surgery. Fat injections would add volume to depressed, hollow areas. Swelling after plastic surgery may change the the appearance of the cheek area, which should go away with time. Only after speaking with your face lift surgeon can he/she determine appropriate options for you.