Standard Cheek Implants versus Custom Cheek Implants - which is better?

Hello, hope you are well. Generally speaking, cheek implants come in numerous pre-formed shapes and sizes to suit almost anyone's anatomy. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to select a good fit with the help of an experienced surgeon. By comparison, custom implants require a CT scan to be done, a modeling and fabrication process with a third-party vendor, and limit the type of implant material that can be used. This substantially increases the cost and complexity of the process. Excellent question. In my practice, the vast majority of patients are very happy with pre-formed implants. Cases where we might custom fabricate implants are with certain skeletal deformities or asymmetries that pose a unique challenge.

Best,
Dr. Tower

Both standard and custom cheek implants can enhance facial contour, but the choice often depends on your unique facial anatomy and aesthetic goals. Standard implants typically come in a few pre-set shapes and sizes, making them more accessible and less costly, but they may not perfectly match every individual’s bone structure. Custom implants, on the other hand, are designed specifically for your facial proportions, offering greater precision, symmetry, and a more natural result—though they involve higher cost, longer planning, and sometimes more complex surgery.

Given your history of fillers and fat transfer with only temporary or partial improvement, custom implants may provide a more tailored and lasting outcome. However, the best approach ultimately depends on a detailed consultation, 3D imaging, and the expertise of your surgeon.

Silicone cheek implants are soft, and pliable and can be customized by the surgeon during the procedure. The added expense of custom implants is usually not needed in this area. They come in multiple sizes and styles and the surgery can be performed in the office with local anesthesia or sedation anesthesia.

Hi Susan5559,
Yes cheeks implants can fill out the volume and augments your cheekbone the way fat grafting cannot. It depends on your anatomy whether a custom implant is needed. Usually if your goal is for more lateral augmentation, or a very specific shape a custom implants might be the way to go. There are also implants where the surgeons can shape it in the operating room to fit your anatomy and goals better. Another option is to move your cheekbone (zygoma)--this way there's no foreign implants that might have issues down the road.