How Can I Avoid Having My Cheek Augmentation Made Too Big?

Q: Dr. Eppley, For my cheekbone implants, I would like them to be placed high on the cheek and to stretch around the length of my zygomatic (like the implant on the right in the first picture attached) and to create an ‘ogge line’. One thing I’m kind of nervous about though is the possibility of having my cheeks augmented too much and looking very weird as a result. I see a lot of women on the streets who have fillers which make them look ridiculously bloated around the zygomas.

A: The key to having a natural looking cheek augmentation result, regardless of the style of implant used, is to not overdo it in terms of size. The cheek is a very sensitive area in terms of volume and a little bit does go along way particularly in small female faces. But this is an issue I am well aware of and I will know during surgery if such is the case and can make the necessary implant adjustments if needed to avoid that exact problem.

In addition injectable fillers notoriously can make the face look bloated because they are placed in the soft tissues and being a soft material they can make the cheeks look puffy and full. Fillers can not create a well defined cheek in most cases. Bone-based implants are different because they push the soft tissue away from the bone in a defined manner based on the shape of the implant.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana