Is one of my cheeks fatter than the other because of chewing only on one side?

Question

My left cheek seems to be fatter, I don't think there is anything wrong with my face's bone structure. I think it is because I only use the left cheek to chew because it feels weird doing this at the other cheek as I don't use it very often. Is this true? And if it is, what can I do to even them out?

Evan Ransom, MD, FACS · Answer

Actually, yes, this is quite possible. If you chew specifically on one side the majority of the time, the muscles on that side will get bigger. Just like lifting weights with one arm.  Commonly, this is the masseter muscles, which attaches from the angle of the jaw to the upper cheekbone area.  If the asymmetry is aesthetically unpleasing, Botox can be used to shrink down the masseter muscle on that side.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

This is my expertise and a huge portion of my practice. Asymmetry is normal and expected. Buccal fat pad gives slimming not symmetry. Masseter botox will make you slimmer and make the jawline more loose. Fillers help give shaping and contouring. If you want perfect or close to perfect symmetry you need maxillofacial surgery or implants customized. I suggest seeing an expert to go through all options. Most of my younger clients use fillers to give them shaping especially on the cheeks, jawline, and chin which make the face look more slim and tight; and threads such as PDO or Instalift can build collagen and support the facial shaping and skin looseness over time, slowing down the aging process and given the face a more “snatched” look; and morpheus8 or PiXel8 deep microneedling RF can tighten crepe skin especially on the neck and jawline and is great for long term tightening of the full face, neck and chest; its often used to give the face a slimmer more sculpted look because it tightens the skin and gives lift. an early face lift can be performed as well even in younger clients if they want a different facial shape, maxillofacial surgery with bone breaking or shaving can also be done. 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 Always use at home derma rolling (see link to Emerageskin x anteageMD roller plus stem cells/hyaluronic acid ampules) and peels like emeragecosmetics enlighten or aerify that can be used to improve skin quality and tighten the skin while improving wrinkles, pigmentation, acne, and Melasma. See an expert who does facial shaping with surgical and non surgical methods to get a comprehensive option. Best, Dr. Emer.

Is one of my cheeks fatter than the other because of chewing only on one side?

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Is one of my cheeks fatter than the other because of chewing only on one side?

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about Cheek Augmentation

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