What Is The Right Cheek Implant To Create High and Chiseled Cheekbones?

Q:  Dear Dr. Eppley, I would like to have those chiseled high cheekbones. I have looked at some implant styles online and it seems that the Medpor extended malar implant may work for me. The picture on the website product catalog shows the implant in a high and lateral position and the implant is described to augment the malar region. My surgeon told me that this kind of implant can only be placed under the cheekbone (submalar) and more towards the nose than towards the zygomatic arch and that the picture on this website shows the wrong placement of this implant design. I really don´t want submalar augmentation! Is it true that this implant design is actually a submalar implant and therefore not used for malar augmentation or can it be used for both malar and submalar augmentation? What is your experience with this kind of implant design?

A:  Choosing the correct implant design and size is obviously critical for any type of facial implant procedure. This is particularly true in the cheek or malar region as this area has the most complex three-dimensional anatomy to it. It contains five zones of potential augmentation including anterior, lateral, oblique, orbital rim and submalar. Any cheek implant will affect at least three of these zones in any single design. For those interested in more ‘chiseled’ cheeks, by definition this means that the oblique and lateral zones are most important. The submalar zone should absolutely not be augmented as part of this type of cheek implant because it will create more of a rounded full cheek look rather than making higher and more ‘chiseled’ cheekbones. The type of cheek implant to which you refer will not help create the look you are after. That type of cheek implant design creates fullness on the lower or submalar cheek zone and will not achieve that higher angular cheek look.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana