Sunken Cheeks: Long-lasting Dermal Fillers Available?

You sound like a perfect Sculptra candidate.
Fillers do go away in months and if you need considerable "plumping" the cost of repeating temporary fillers can get very high.
Sculptra was originally approved in the US for treating lipo atrophy in patients with HIV over 5 years ago. Lipo atrophy (or fat wasting) is not a problem only for those with immune deficiency, but also for some with high metabolism, from weight loss, or just genetics predisposition.
Sculptra is injected in such a way to restore volume in nearly any area of the face. Done well, you can fill out the central face, cheek areas, temples and the fill effect from above can "lift" the jowls.
The volumizing effect comes from your own collagen since Sculptra's job is to activate new collagen production. Obviously your own collagen will be less prone to breakdown than a gel filler. Many patients enjoy prolonged volume improvements of 2 years or more....this is all dependent upon your own body's system and health, but you should certainly expect a good 18 months.
I was fortunate to begin working with Sculptra while it was being investigated years ago. My patients in the Los Angeles clinic were thrilled to "get their face back". The work and research opportunities I've had led to my becoming a trainer for Sculptra and I love seeing what it can do for such a wide variety of people.

Thank you for your question. For long-lasting facial volume, your options are facial fat grafting or a collagen stimulator like Sculptra. Facial fat transfer takes small amounts of fat from another area of the body and injects it into the face to create the volume you want. You mention you are not a candidate for fat transfer, so if this is really the case, Sculptra might be your best bet. This collagen stimulator is injected deep into the dermal tissue, where it triggers the body to produce more collagen. As collagen levels rise, the midface becomes fuller and more defined naturally. It can take a few months for the results of Sculptra to fully develop, but improvements can last two years or more. I recommend scheduling a consultation with an experienced, board-certified facial plastic surgeon who can assess you in person and create a customized treatment plan to meet your needs and goals best.

Hollow or sunken cheeks are difficult as the filler needs to be both high volume and smooth.  Sculptra will stimulate collagen over time and is excellent for this application 

When it comes to long-lasting fillers for the cheek area we have found Sculptura and Voluma to be our products of choice. Sculptura works by stimulation of a new collagen formation and it can last longer than even two years. Voluma is a hyaluronic acid filler, the longest lasting one and particularly good for deep fillings such as cheek bone and jawline which lasts between 18 to 24 months.

Dear HongKong,Sculptra is a great long lasting filler that works very well in the cheek area Results can last 2 years with SculptraAs far as filling the cheeks to lift the nasolabial folds, that just depends on your exam, you do get some lift, but you also do not want to look too puffyBest regards,

Dr. Nima

Member, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon

Board Certified in Head and Neck Surgery

 

Hi there!
There are a number of approaches available, I will list them from least to most involved/expensive. Voluma is a hyaluronic acid filler that lasts about two years. It is relatively inexpensive, and only takes a couple visits to achieve a good result. Cost is between $2-3 K depending on the patient. It has the advantage of being reversible with an injection if you don't like the result. Sculptra achieves a longer lasting result, causing deposition of collagen in response to the product. This product is difficult to reverse. The final and most expensive option is fat grafting.  If successful, the result is permanent. There is downtime due to swelling/bruising that lasts a couple weeks, and if your weight fluctuates, the fat will shrink/swell in response. I hope this helps!
Matthew. C. Camp M.D
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon