Can Injectable Fillers Work To Fill In Deficient Buccal Cheek Facial Areas?

Q: Can injectable fillers adequately fill the buccal facial area?  I have heard that Sculptra is used for that but because the product is synthetic I have read a lot of online complaints about problems with the material causing granulomas and lumps. Could Perlane be used instead? Does Perlane work in the buccal area? I previously had spent about $5000 worth of fillers of Restylane and Voluma and it couldn’t adequately fill the buccal area.

A: I think you have hit on a key issue. There is no question you can eventually place enough injectable fillers into the buccal area to see an effect but the sheer volume required makes the use of injectable synthetic fillers financially impractical for some patients  Your past injectable history indicates exactly that issue. Although I have not seen any pictures of you, I would guess that the volume deficiency of your buccal areas is in the range of at least 10 to 15mls per side if not more. At such volume deficiency, it takes a lot of fillers to make an appreciable change.

This is why if you are thinking of injectable fillers, it is probably better to think of fat injections. While the fate of injected fat is never guaranteed, at least you know for certain you could get more than an adequate volume fill at a set price. With facial fat injections, I mix in Matristem powder to theoretically create more of a collagenous response as well.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana