When it comes to facelifts, most people would think of defining their jawline to make it look sharper, whereas some would prefer the attention on their noses. While these preferences are subjective, some people like the attention on their cheekbones.
After all, the cheeks play an essential role in giving our faces balance, proportion and supporting the skin to keep it from drooping. However, not everyone is born with a pair of high cheekbones. Some people are born with less fats on their middle or lateral cheeks. Ageing can also cause us to lose volume in our cheeks, leading to loss of support and thus skin sagging down onto laugh lines and jowls.
This is where cheek fillers in Singapore come in, as they provide a natural and more cost-effective lift than surgery. This article will explore how cheek fillers can help you achieve the look you desire.
Cheek fillers are a type of cosmetic treatment used to add volume to the cheeks. They are typically made from hyaluronic acid, a gel-like substance naturally found in the human body.
These substances are injected into the skin of the cheek to help create a more youthful appearance by filling out the recessed area around your cheekbones. It is an easy and effective way to give you the facelift you desire.
Cheek fillers can also treat drooping cheeks, sagging jowls, or wrinkles on the cheek. The fillers are designed to be injected into the facial area to improve your appearance, which works by plumping up the cheeks and adding volume to your face.
One can expect minor discomfort for this procedure, though it is generally bearable as numbing cream will be applied prior. The filler is injected beneath your skin using a needle or cannula during the procedure. This can be done on one side of your face or both depending on what you want to achieve.
Each brand of dermal fillers provides different lines of gel-like fillers that vary in concentration and heaviness. This means they are made to achieve varying levels of facelifts, including on the cheek. Let’s take a look at the different types of dermal fillers.
Calcium hydroxylapatite is a substance that occurs naturally in the bones. It is a dermal filler that contains hydroxylapatite microspheres suspended in a gel. This is a principal component for Radiesse®filler.
The main goal of this filler is to smoothen moderate to severe wrinkles like smile lines, marionette lines, pre-jowl folds, and chin wrinkles. It is also effective for reducing wrinkles on the back of your hands as results can last as long as 12 months.
It also stimulates collagen production that helps keep your skin feeling tight and youthful. However, it cannot be dissolved and hence cannot be easily rectified when required.
There are three types of hyaluronic acid cheek fillers suitable for a facelift: Juvederm VOLUMA, Restylane Lyft, and Belotero Volume. As hyaluronic acid is an organic compound that naturally occurs in our body, it is capable of drawing and holding an incredible amount of water to keep the skin plump and hydrated.
When it occurs at optimal levels, the hyaluronic acid acts as a cushioning agent that can retain up to 1,000 times its weight in moisture. The main difference between the three types of cheek fillers in Singapore lies in their texture or rather the substance’s viscosity. This will determine how well the filler can retain its shape and usage for different treatment purposes.
For instance, Juvederm VOLUMA can help to improve plumpness and moisture where necessary, while Restylane Lyft provides lift to the cheeks and smoothens nasolabial folds. Belotero Volume can help treat superficial lines and moderate to severe wrinkles in delicate areas like the lips and mouth.
At SL Aesthetic Clinic, we prefer to use Juvederm fillers. It is an FDA-approved hyaluronic acid cheek filler that can last 18 months. It can be injected into your cheekbone area to lift the middle of your face and provide more symmetry and definition. The same filler can also be administered to the forehead, nose, lips, temples and chin. Other HA fillers we carry include Restylane and Belotero.
HA fillers are by far the most common and popular option due to its ability to be dissolved and extremely low infection rate.
Poly-L-lactic acid is a synthetic, biocompatible, and biodegradable ingredient often used in medical devices such as absorbable sutures. Sculptra is a brand of filler made of poly-L-lactic acid. As a dermal filler, it works to restore volume and provide long-lasting results.
Unlike the previous two types of dermal fillers, this ingredient doesn’t add volume at the time of injection. Instead, it stimulates your body’s collagen production, giving you the volume and smooth appearance over time. Results generally last up to two years. However, the filler cannot be dissolved. The results are not predictable and hence it is difficult to get symmetry. There is also a small chance of lumpiness.
Depending on what you want to achieve from the facelift, the amount of cheek filler needed averages upwards from 1ml. 1 valve usually contains 1ml. The exact amount will depend on the extent of the lift and volume the cheeks require.
Cheek fillers in Singapore are a great way to lift your cheeks and give your face a more youthful appearance. They can be used to add volume to the skin on the cheek area, which will make it appear fuller, more lifted, and rejuvenated.
As we age, we lose fats in the cheeks, causing deflation and the cheeks to sag and droop. Weight loss can also result in the lack of definition in the facial structure, especially the cheekbones.
With cheek fillers that contain hyaluronic acid as the primary ingredient, the HA makes up for the loss of volume. Usually heavier HA is used for cheek fillers as it can mix well with existing fats within the cheeks to create more volume, further enhancing the plumping effect.
As a result, it diminishes the sunken appearance of the cheeks, making the cheekbones more prominent, pronounced, and perfectly shaped. Subsequently, this makes a face look more balanced and proportionate.
After the doctor has assessed you to be a suitable candidate, you will need to heed several precautions advised by your doctor. This includes stopping any medications that can cause blood thinning or increase the risk of bleeding.
During the procedure, the doctor may make markings on the treatment area. This works as a guide to ensure accuracy. Before injecting the cheek fillers, your face may be numbed to ensure you remain comfortable during the procedure.
However, you may not require anaesthesia as cheek fillers contain lidocaine. The doctor will then perform the cheek filler treatment in 1 to 2 injection points. It takes an experienced doctor’s aesthetic sense to ascertain the areas of deficit and his / her skill to decide on the injection points for optimal lifting without overfilling.
For the high injection points, the cheek filler is injected close to the top of the cheekbone, near the orbital area. This builds on existing bone structure and uses less filler. If injected too low or below the cheekbones, the doctor may use too much filler, and you may end up with overfilled pillow cheeks.
Meanwhile, for frontal injection point, the cheek filler is injected in the front of the face to add volume and lift to the midface for “apple” cheeks and at the broadest corner of the front-facing cheekbone to give it prominence and definition. Injecting fillers beyond this point (where it is too lateral) should be avoided. Having said that, this is also dependent on the individual’s needs. Chinese tends to have high cheek bones but the front tends to be flat. On the other hand, Caucasians tend to require lateral fillers.
After the procedure, you will be advised to take specific steps to help your recovery. This includes avoiding alcohol intake for 24 hours, continuing to ice your treatment areas to reduce swelling, and avoiding strenuous activities for 48 hours after your treatment.
You may notice minor bruising in the treatment areas but rest assured that this will resolve within several days. Since there is minimal downtime, you may return to work immediately after the treatment.
Cheek fillers for a facelift usually don’t cause serious problems, but there are possible side effects that you may face:
As long as you continue icing and massaging the treatment areas, the side effects should clear up within several days.
Depending on the amount of cheek filler required for a facelift, it can cost $750 per ml. This means the more cheek filler you need to achieve your desired appearance, the higher the cost of this treatment. Be sure to consult a qualified medical professional before proceeding with your cheek filler treatment.
This type of facelift is suitable if you are looking to contour your cheeks with greater definition. Patients with sagging or drooping cheeks can also consider cheek fillers to restore volume to sunken cheeks and create a more youthful appearance.
There is one demographic that cheek fillers are a no-go: pregnant or breastfeeding women as there are no conclusive safety studies done yet.
If you are considering cheek filler treatment in Singapore, you should consult a qualified medical professional to provide you with the proper guidance and treatment. It is equally important to look for someone with a keen eye for beauty so that he/she is able to prescribe suitable treatments to enhance your features naturally. Here at SL Aesthetic Clinic, we’re happy to provide said guidance and address any further questions or concerns you may have, so contact us today for more information.
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