Will a SMAS plication type facelift affect my fat cheeks?

Thank you for your question.  Sagging cheeks is a major part of facial aging process.   This problem can be reversed either by using fillers (such as fat) or elevation of the sagging facial tissue (SMAS facelift).  With the conventional SMAS procedure it is very unlikely that your cheeks would look bigger, but they will certainly look higher.  When a facelift is performed after patient's cheeks were filled with fat adjustments to the facelift technique could be made to avoid over elevation of the cheek pads.  To get the best possible result I would encourage you to show your plastic surgeon what changes you are looking to achieve with a facelift.  This is best done by pulling the skin of the face up with your fingertips in front of the mirror.  When the surgeon knows what your "ideal" result looks like he/she would be able to make necessary changes to accomplish that look.Best wishes!Dr. Konstantin

Thank you for the question.
One goal of face lifting is to restore an inverted triangle or almond shape to the face that may have become more square as a result of aging.  Many face lift techniques therefore seek to restore midface, or cheek, volume.  
If the cheeks are already full and you are concerned that plication will lead to exaggerated cheeks, then it maybe worthwhile to consider a SMASectomy technique instead of a SMAS-plication.
I hope this answers your question.