What is Facial Volume Loss and Why Does It Matter?
Age affects all areas of the body but the one that we’re going to focus on today is the face, in particular the cheek area. If you take pictures of someone over years of time, what you’ll notice is that the cheek area changes shape.
This is actually all about fat. When we’re young, the fat in our face is mostly evenly distributed. Aging causes that same fat to lose volume and to shift downward. Those formerly round and accentuated cheeks now sag and the skin may sag also.
How can you defy this obvious sign of aging? That’s what the rest of this article will attempt to answer. First let’s cover the preventative.
If you have not already lost significant volume in your cheeks or if you want to prevent further loss consider these.
1. Beware the extreme and yo-yo dieting. By going on severe diets, losing weight and then regaining weight, you affect the fat area in the face as well. This causes stretching of the ligaments that support the tissues of the face. It can end up with a loss of elasticity and volume. Instead consider a sustainable exercise and diet regiment.
2. Beware the Sun. The sun can accelerate the breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin. When these are reduced, the loss of volume can increase.
On the other hand, if you’ve already lost some of that youthful volume and you’re looking for ways to restore it, consider these:
Injectible fillers
These are probably the easiest, the fastest and the least expensive of the solutions. There are several products available such as Restylane, Restylane Lyft, Juvederm Voluma and Radiesse.
Restylane is a hyaluronic acid filler used to fill in facial folds and wrinkles. It adds volume and fullness to creases creating a more youthful, rejuvenated look.
Restylane Lyft is designed specifically for the cheeks to add volume and correct and smooth smile lines.
Juvederm Voluma XC is also composed of Hyaluronic acid and is designed to replace lost volume in the cheek area. It is the only filler that lasts two years in the cheek area.
Radiesse stimulates collagen growth. It’s composed of Calcium Hydroxylapatite which increased the production of soft tissue.
Facelift
A facelift is the most invasive and probably the most expensive solution ($7K is average) to cheek volume loss. Surgical lifting of the cheek region allows repositioning of tissues that have descended due to gravity and weakening of the retaining ligaments over time.
Cheek implants
With this procedure, silicone or other materials are inserted over the cheekbone usually via an incision in the upper mouth near the top of the gum line. While this is not as invasive as a facelift, it is non-trivial and has its share of accompanying risks.
How do you decide what’s right for you? First you should consult a physician and learn about what makes the most sense for your particular situation. If you are considering fillers, it’s best to not get caught up in which is the right filler to use. What’s more important is to pick the right physician. Consider that the painter rather than the paint is what will make the biggest difference.
