What Is A SubMalar Tightening Procedure?

Q: I am bothered by my puffy cheek  look. I feel that the area under my cheekbones is full and, as a result, does not give good definition to my cheek area. I had cheek implants placed but they didn’t give me that more sculpted look that I was looking for. I think the problem isin the full area below the cheek. I have read this is called the submalar area. Is it possible to have a tightening of the submalar soft tissues area. Is there such a procedure?  I have simulated this concept in front of the mirror many times without knowing it was possible outside of a full facelift and really liked the improvement it makes in highlighting the cheekbone.  How would such a procedure be done? Is there any external scarring or is it done completely intraorally?  I would like to pursue this procedure seriously so any information you can provide would be much appreciated.  Thanks again.

A: The submalar area of the face is a non-bone supported area beneath the cheek bone (malar eminence) that is influenced exclusively by the volume of soft tissue that it contains. Thinning, or creating an indentation, in the submalar area is commonly done by buccal fat removal.  While this simple procedure can be helpful in the right patient, it does not work well for every fuller face. And can even create too much of an indentation later in life when one gets older as natural fat atrophy occurs in most people.

An alternative procedure is submalar tightening. It is not nearly as well known but can also create a narrowing of the submalar triangle. Using the same intraoral incision and approach as one does for a buccal lipectomy, the underlying soft tissues are cinched down with a suture anchor placed into the underside of the zygoma. This can be done in conjunction with buccal fat removal for a combined submalar indentation effect.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana