CHEEK LIFT

Pros

• This cosmetic procedure can give patients a more naturally youthful appearance.
• It can be a less invasive procedure than a traditional facelift. Some surgeons even perform it under local anesthesia.
• According to Dr. Mesa, a cheek lift can correct an unnatural “operated on” appearance in patients who have previously undergone a deep plane facelift and look “wrinkleless but not naturally youthful." 
• The facial rejuvenation results from this treatment can last up to 10 years, far longer than nonsurgical treatment options.
• A cheek lift alone has one of the shortest recoveries of any kind of facial plastic surgery: as little as one week, for many patients.
• When it’s performed by an experienced board-certified surgeon, it’s considered a safe procedure.
• An endoscopic cheek lift can be an appealing choice for individuals exhibiting initial signs of facial aging and experiencing minimal skin sagging. This procedure enables them to enhance their midface appearance without the presence of significant, conspicuous scars.

Cons

• A standalone cheek lift procedure doesn't comprehensively address concerns related to the jawline or completely rectify the presence of jowls—often the primary goals that patients seek to address through a facelift, notes Dr. Mesa.
• As with other surgical procedures, possible complications can include infection, temporary numbness, hematoma (blood under the skin), and seroma (fluid under the skin).
• Opinions among reviewers on RealSelf are mixed: cheek lift surgery has a 86% Worth It Rating, far lower than the Worth It Rating reviewers give full facelift surgery.

RealSelf Tip: An endoscopic cheek lift may not be recommended for patients with midface descent and skin laxity. As Dr. Mesa explains, these cases often “necessitate the removal of excess skin to attain a cosmetically pleasing and naturally appealing outcome.”

• Average Cost:
• $9,970

• Range:
• $7,000 - $14,000

The price you pay for a cheek lift will depend on your surgeon’s level of experience and reputation, as well as their practice location and the complexity of your surgical plan. 

Highly sought-after surgeons in major cities like New York often charge $20,000 or more for cheek lift surgery. 

The cheek lift photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.

This procedure is often performed to correct the descent of the midface (malar) fat pads, which can contribute to under-eye hollowing and accentuate nasolabial folds that run from the corners of the nostrils to the lips.

These changes typically occur before changes in the jawline, so good candidates for a cheek lift may be younger than traditional facelift or neck lift patients. 

“People who have cheek lifts or mid-facelifts alone tend to be younger, often in their late 30s or mid to late 40s, and want to prevent further aging changes,” says Dr. Brooke Sekel, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Boston. Most younger patients still have good skin elasticity, which can help prolong their results. 

It’s important to consult with at least two board-certified plastic or facial plastic surgeons to determine whether this is the best procedure to achieve your goals.

A cheek lift procedure can offer some improvement, but it won't fully resolve prominent jowls, according to Dr. Mesa.

If improving your jawline and getting rid of jowls is a primary goal, a lower facelift or full facelift will deliver far better contouring improvements to your lower face.

Related: How to Get a More Defined Jawline, With or Without Surgery

Midface lifts can be done under local anesthesia with sedation (so you're awake but very relaxed) or under general anesthesia, which means you’re fully asleep during the procedure. A growing number of surgeons, including Dr. Mesa, perform the procedure with the patient fully but painlessly awake, under local anesthesia (without IV sedation). 

Here’s how the procedure works:

• Once the anesthesia has taken effect, your surgeon will make small incisions near the hairline and around the ear.
• They’ll lift the fat pads in your cheek tissue and anchor them into an elevated position, generally with dissolvable sutures or dissolvable anchoring devices (like Endotine). 
• For the longest-lasting results, they may also lift and tighten the underlying muscle and fascia.
• They will then redrape your skin to suit your cheek’s new contours while reducing the appearance of lines and folds. 
• Finally, your surgeon will trim away any excess skin before closing your incisions with tiny sutures. 

Some surgeons perform endoscopic cheek lift surgery, inserting an endoscope (a tube fitted with a tiny camera, which allows them to view the surgical area) through small incisions in the hairline. 

Endoscopic cheek lifts are frequently performed in conjunction with a brow lift or eyelid surgery. Benefits of this technique include smaller scars and a faster recovery, but results don’t always hold up as well as those from a traditional cheek lift, in part because endoscopic procedures don’t remove excess skin. Some doctors on RealSelf also say that the endoscopic technique has a higher risk of asymmetry.

Less commonly, a midface lift is performed through an incision under the lower eyelid. However, this approach has a high risk of ectropion, a pulling or rounding of the lower eyelid.

This outpatient procedure typically takes about two hours. Your surgery will take longer if it’s being performed with other procedures, such as eyelid surgery or a lower facelift.

You’ll be groggy afterwards, so make sure you have someone you trust there to take you home safely and stay with you for 24 hours post-op.

The procedure is performed under some type of anesthesia: either local anesthesia without any IV sedation, local plus sedation, or general anesthesia. Thanks to the anesthesia, you won't feel any pain during surgery. 

You will have bruising and swelling post-op, along with the sensation of tightening, but pain during recovery is typically minimal, according to San Francisco plastic surgeon Dr. Evan Ransom.

Your surgeon can prescribe pain medication to control any discomfort during the first few days of recovery and recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever to use after that.

Recovery time after cheek lift surgery ranges from 7 to 14 days, depending on the details of your procedure and how you heal. 

Your doctor will provide detailed aftercare instructions. Follow them carefully to reduce the risk of complications like infection and ensure that your recovery goes as smoothly as possible. 

You can expect some bruising and swelling for the first day or two. You may gently apply ice packs to help ease the pain only if your surgeon says it is OK to do so. “If you have undergone concurrent procedures such as a chemical peel, Fraxel, or CO2 laser resurfacing in the same area, icing the area may compromise your results,” Dr. Mesa cautions. “Therefore, it is imperative to adhere to the post-operative instructions tailored by your surgeon for your recovery.”

Initially, your cheek fat pads may look too high, but they will settle into a more natural position as your recovery progresses.

Learn more about facelift recovery

Your initial results will be apparent within the first few days, once the worst of the swelling has resolved. Most patients are "restaurant ready" within one to two weeks.

However, it can take up to a year for all the swelling to resolve, so you can see your final results.

Cheek lift results can last 10 years or more, though individual results vary.

“You will always look better than if surgery hadn’t been performed, but gravity and aging will continue—and the skin will stretch and tissues will sag with time. So 10 to 15 years later, you may have the same appearance you did preoperatively, but you’ll look more youthful than if you hadn’t had surgery before,” says Dr. William Marshall Guy, a plastic surgeon in Shenandoah, Texas.

You can prolong your results by regularly wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30+, using medical-grade skin care, and avoiding smoking. Your provider may also recommend occasional nonsurgical treatments such as Thermage, to boost new collagen production.