Male Model Cheekbone Look

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am looking to create the male model cheekbone look, and I know that cheek implants would be the best way of doing this. However, as I understand it, an overly large facial implant can tend to look unnatural. My thoughts here are in terms of increasing the lateral projection of the cheekbones with a zygomatic sandwich osteotomy (ZSO) and then sculpting the actual cheekbone shape with a custom made implant. Do you share my view that this is the best way to go about creating prominent, male model like cheekbones without making them look unnatural?

A: When using the term male model cheekbone look, this usually implies a high cheek prominence marked by a prominence zygomatic arch prominence which extends back towards the ear. While I would agree that moving the zygomatic arch outward by osteotomy with an anterior implant (in front of the osteotomy) is one way to create that type of cheek augmentation, that is the ‘hard’ way to do it. It is easier and equally if not more effective to use a custom cheek implant design to create that type of zygomatic/zygomatic arch augmentation. Then the arch can be augmented in a tapering fashion back to the ear without any risks of an edge transition between the implant and the osteotomy location in the combined osteotomy-implant method.

But if done well, both types of cheek augmentation approaches can help achieve the male model cheekbone look in the patient with the right type of facial anatomy (thinner face)

Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana