Making the Decision

There are three general shapes to cheek implants: malar, submalar, or combined. Malar implants, the most common shape, are placed directly on the cheekbones to provide more projection to the cheeckbone area. Submalar implants are not placed on the cheekbones themselves, but rather directly below the bony prominence with the intent to augment the mid-face to create a sense of fullness. This is especially beneficial if the person has a gaunt or "sunken" appearance to this area. Combined implants or malar/submalar comination, are often chosen to augment both the midface and the cheekbone area.

For a less invasive approach, cheek augmentation may be done in the surgeon's office utilizing a variety of injectable fillers, which is not considered to be permanent. Autologous fat transfer is another approach where the surgeon utilizes fat from another area of the body and prepares it for re-injecting into the face in a sterile environment. The fat is extracted by liposuction, fat cells are isolated and then prepared to be re-injected into the body. To be considered long term, autologous fat transfer should be done miltiple times.  

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