What Type Of Midface Lift Do I Need?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I’m currently 26 and I had large silicone cheek implants placed two  years ago together with a buccal fat pad extraction. I had them removed two months ago as I just felt they were too big for my face. The issues I have now is that there seems to be a small degree of mid-facial sagging. I’m looking to get smaller malar implants later in the year, but I’m concerned that that will not be able to proper address this sag. Out of curiosity, since I’ll be undergoing a cheek implant procedure again, could a mini-lift help address this sag? I don’t think I’ll require anything too aggressive – do you know of any midface lifts that could help me out?

A: It is no surprise that once cheek implants are removed that some degree of midfacial sag will result. This is not just due to the stretched overlying tissues but because the soft tissue attachments to the bone have been permanently detached. Once the implants are out, the overlying midface soft tissue can not reattach to the bone (due to the slick surface of the residual capsule) and it thus slides ‘south’.

With your new cheek implants you consider a temporal suspension midface lift which can simply and easily pull back up the midface tissues over the new implants.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana