Do cheek implants take 6 months to look normal?

Question

I am interested in getting combined sub malar implants. However I have read (among other problems) that they are very un natural looking for 6 weeks, yet they dont really look good or settle properly for 6 months , is this true. Also , I read that there are other side effects like making laugh lines worse, drooping of the corners of the mouth, eye bags looking worse etc. Is this common? thank you

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Implants and surgery take 3-6 months to see the ultimate results and often longer for the swelling to fully go down (up to 1-2 years).  Fillers can give you the look of an implant with little downtime.  I suggest you see an expert to determine what is best given your formal evaluation.  Dr. Emer.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

As a general rule, cheek implants take about 6 weeks for 90% of the facial swellling to pass. It is a good idea to not judge them for at least three mpnths after surgery. But most people look very passable in public in 2 to 3 weeks after surgery.

William Marshall Guy, MD · Answer

Hello Hayley7,Cheek implants are placed by a surgical procedure through the mouth.  As with any surgery there is swelling that takes place afterwards.  Most of this swelling is gone by 2 weeks with 90% gone by 2 months.  Although the cheeks will look a little more full with the swelling it does not create much of an "unnatural look."  They should not affect the laugh lines or crow's feet (and can even help improve them by helping to stretch the surrounding tissue).  It should not cause the corner of the mouth to droop and should actually help pull it up ever so slightly.  If you are treating a deficiency in the cheek, it should not make the eye area worse.  If your problem is bags under the eye, this surgery wouldn't help that and could lead to a more prominent crease between the cheek bone and eye area.  This could be addressed with a different surgery.  I would recommend you consult with a facial plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns and determine if this is the right treatment for you.  I hope this helps and good luck.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

Cheek implants are composed of solid silicone, also known as Silastic, and are inserted through an intraoral approach under a brief general anesthetic. Patients have visible swelling  for the first 2-3 weeks, but at that point they do look natural, just slightly swollen. The residual swelling subsides over the next 2-3 months.  Cheek implants do not make laugh lines worse,  donot affect the corners of the mouth or make eye bags worse. For many examples and more information, please see the video and the  link below

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

Hi, I have performed many cheek augmentations with cheek implants and don't agree with many of those side effects.  I have to wonder if  those mentioning the side effects perhaps don't perform many cheek implant surgeries.  Like all surgeries, the more experienced and quicker the surgeon works, the less the tissue damage which results in faster healing and recovery.  Cheek implants can start to look good right away in faces that have flat or concave cheeks pre-surgery.  The majority of the swelling can be reduced with proper post-op care within the first 2-4 weeks.

Do cheek implants take 6 months to look normal?

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