Will Cheek Implants Make My Face Look Less Fat?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in cheek implants. Please find my two photos. First one is my face, which is ok I think but it is the second photo which kills me. You can see the nasolablial fold and the cheek skin/fat falling down my face, making me look fat and old. I need to fix this and want to know my best options. Is it cheek implants? Paranasal implants? (whenever I push my top lip forward with my tongue from inside the mouth, my nasolabial folds and falling cheek fat disappear. Please let me know my best option sir. I don’t want to look like a fat guy even though I’m skinny. It’s just like my face is falling. I think I lack the bone structure to hold up my face. As my jaw and cheek bones are non existent. I am 32 years old. Thanks!

A: At your age I don’t know that your face is truly falling but I would not disagree that you have weak cheekbone structure. Pushing the lip out is not a practical approach to improving your facial structure. The only way to get some tissue lift is through cheek implants which will create a bit of a midface lift using malar shell implants. This will not eliminate the nasolabial folds completely but it will provide better facial balance and make your face look less fat. In addition I would do fat injections into the nasolabial folds and the paranasal areas to provide some augmentation to them as well. This in combination with the cheek implants will likely create the overall facial improvement you seek.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana