Cheek lift (or mid-face lift) can restore and revitalize your appearance.
Many of the aesthetic changes we experience as we grow older occur deep within the tissues and musculature, leading to subtle and sometimes hard-to-recognize alterations in our appearance. Sagging cheeks is one of the most recognizable signs of aging, and can cause one’s facial appearance to seem flatter or heavier, while increasing the prominence of lines around the mouth and hollows under the eyes. These aesthetic issues can all be traced back to the position of the malar fat pad, the fatty tissue that sits atop the cheekbone and gives the face its unique contours. As we age, this pad begins to slip, pulling down the lower eyelids and pushing down on the tissues around the mouth. A basic surgical correction to this critical mid-face region can drastically rejuvenate your facial appearance.
Benefits of Cheek Lift Surgery
Many people believe that they need a full facelift to correct the aforementioned cosmetic problems and while a traditional facelift merely stretches the skin without restoring fullness, a cheek lift actually repositions the malar fat pad itself, giving the cheeks the youthful fullness that has been lost with age. Once the fat pad is repositioned, the skin itself will resume its original position as well, eliminating the large hollows under the eyes and deep creases around the mouth. A cheek lift is a more long-term option than dermal injectable fillers, and has a shorter recovery time and less visible scarring than a full facelift.
Cheek Lift Procedure
A cheek lift is a fairly simple procedure involving the relocation of the fatty tissue of the cheek to a more youthfully elevated position. In order to minimize visible scarring, the procedure involves small incisions inside the mouth along the gum line and/or above the hairline at the temple, ensuring at the same time that the hair follicles at the temples will not be affected. Once the incisions have been made, the muscles of the cheek, the malar fat pad, and adjoining tissue are delicately separated from the bone, relocated to their new position, and attached to the bone using small sutures. The visible lift in the cheeks is far more long-term than the lift achieved with dermal fillers because the relocated tissue will eventually graft to the bone in the correct place.
A cheek lift can be performed in the office under general anesthesia. A cheek lift usually takes about two hours, when performed as a stand-alone procedure. Post-surgical discomfort is usually mild, but most patients will experience swelling and numbness in the cheeks and lower lips, symptoms which can be alleviated by elevating the head and applying cold compresses. The external incisions must be kept scrupulously clean according to the instructions provided before the procedure, and excellent oral hygiene must be maintained to prevent infection in any sutures inside the mouth.
Book Your Consultation
We will review your medical history to better understand your overall health. Our doctor will discuss your goals and help you understand what options may be available and what to expect from treatment.
Result & Recovery
The post-operative swelling should diminish within two weeks, after which time normal activities can be resumed; however, strenuous activity and extensive sun exposure should be avoided for several weeks. The results of the cheek lift surgery will become readily apparent after the initial swelling subsides, and continued improvement in the patient’s appearance will continue over the next month or two as any remaining swelling disappears.
Medical Professionals
Dr. Lee L.Q. Pu, MD, PhD, FACS, FICS
Dr. Lee Pu , along with his staff at Omni Plastic Surgery Seattle, is dedicated to providing a warm, welcoming atmosphere where you will feel comfortable discussing all of your cheek lift surgery goals. Dr. Lee Pu will listen carefully to your hopes and concerns, will walk you through all your procedural options, and will help you make the choices most likely to guarantee that the final results are exactly what you want.
A cheek lift, as with any surgery, does involve some risk, but Dr. Lee Pu is a Board Certified plastic surgeon who prides himself on using state-of-the-art techniques to minimize surgical risk, post-operative complications, and discomfort both during and after the procedure.