What Can Be Done For A Face That Has Prominent Eyes, Flat Cheeks, and Sunken in Lower Eyelids?

Q: Hello Dr Eppley. I have several issues about my face that I would like changed. I am a 21 year old female with prominent eyes along with an oblong face shape. My eyes are not bulging out but they are just prominent. I have no cheek bones. It must just come with having a longer face shape I guess and I lack fat below lower eyelids. I was considering a mini face lift to make my eyes less prominent and my face look less tired. But as I have researched it’s too early to get it done at my age. What options do I have? What would you recommend in order to make my eyes look less prominent and get some volume on my face to get rid of the tired look and make my face look fuller (rounder).

I’m sorry for the long question but I’m so excited to come across your site since I see that you are experienced in almost all areas of cosmetic surgeries.

A: By your description, it appears that you have a longer but flatter face. Flatter in the face refers to a recessed development of the midface, particularly the zygomatic-orbital skeletal areas. (midface, cheek and lower eye socket bones) This lack of anterior projection makes a face appear longer, particularly if the vertical height of the face is long to start with. This also accounts for the lack of fullness in the lower eyelids (sunken in appearance) and the apparent big size of the eyes.

While your eyes may be big in size and your face long, the lack of cheek and lower orbital rim bones can really accentuate that appearance. Improvement of midface deficiency at this level is done by the use of cheek and orbital implants, specifically a combined infraorbital rim-malar implant. This provides fullness across this deficient bony area and provides some horizontal projection. (fullness) This helps balance the face better, make it look a little shorter and can help make the eyes look a little less prominent. These implants are placed through a lower eyelid incision.

Any form of a facelift is exactly what you don’t want to do. This is not a skin problem but a bone-based issue.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana