If you are self-conscious about your cheek profiles, perhaps a dermal filler such as cheek filler might be able to help. If you’re a first-time patient looking for an alternative to surgery, filler along the cheekbone is one of the most versatile cosmetic procedures available. Fillers for the cheeks are gaining more and more popularity, but while prevalent, you should know more about the treatment before getting into the hype.
If you are interested in the treatment, this blog answers your questions regarding cheek fillers, the nature of the procedure, and whether or not cheek fillers are appropriate for you. Here’s everything you need to know about cheek fillers.
So, What Is A Cheek Filler Exactly?
As the name implies, you can use cheek filler to make your cheeks appear fuller. While that is true, its scope is more comprehensive than you think. Other things can be done than just enhancing your cheek, such as removing fine marionette lines, hiding asymmetry, or reinforcing a cheekbone.
Types Of Cheek Fillers
Most providers frequently use hyaluronic acid-based cheek fillers because they are easily adjustable and reversible if too much or too little product is applied. However, another dermal filler classification, biostimulators, can be used on the cheekbone to add contour. Although biostimulators are not as common as cheek fillers based on hyaluronic acid because they cannot be reversed and require multiple sessions to see results, the effects of these fillers last significantly longer than those of HA-based fillers.
Results can deviate widely depending on the brand of dermal cheek filler used. Most cheek filler brands have a range of thicknesses, meaning that various goals and sub-areas within the larger cheek area require multiple filler injections.
As mentioned earlier, most providers only use hyaluronic acid fillers because of their adaptability. However, they switch between specific cheek filler brands depending on the volume amount, lift, or contour the patient requires. Likewise, their skin texture will be taken into account as well.
You can expect dermal cheek filler brands such as Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane, and Sculptra to pop up during your cheek filler appointment.
How Long Do They Last?
The effects of cheek fillers can be seen for anywhere from six months to two years before they start to fade completely—depending on the type of filler used. The dermal cheek filler material will eventually break down and be metabolized by the body into the tissue of your skin.
Who’s Applicable For The Treatment?
You can be a candidate for cheek fillers if you’re in good health, don’t smoke, and don’t have a history of chronic health conditions. The FDA has guidelines on who should not try out cheek fillers. The guidelines do not recommend using cheek fillers for people with bleeding disorders, pregnant or breastfeeding, or those allergic to dermal filler compounds.
Since research on the safety of dermal fillers for breastfeeding and pregnant women is still in its infancy, it is recommended that you steer clear of these treatments for the time being.
What’s To Expect In A Cheek Filler Procedure
As soon as all the particulars are worked out and the price and results are agreed upon, you’ll be scheduled for a cheek filler injection appointment. Here are the following steps for your upcoming cheek filler appointment.
Pre-Appointment Preparation
You will not be able to take any blood-thinning medications, including aspirin, in the two weeks following the scheduled procedure.
Inform your provider that you are taking blood-thinning medication during the consultation appointment you have scheduled with them. They may provide you with additional preparation instructions for your cheek filler appointment.
Cheek Filler Appointment Steps
You will remain seated in a sanitized setting throughout the appointment. Your physician might numb the area around the injection site with a local anesthetic, or the cheek filler might already contain a numbing agent. Either way, you won’t feel a thing. Giving an injection should be straightforward and won’t take more than twenty minutes.
Immediately following the injection, you will be able to observe some of the effects of the treatment. It may take up to two days for the filler to find its permanent position on your face after it has been applied.
After the procedure, you will be capable of driving without problems, and you will also be able to go back to work or make other reservations quickly afterward.
Recovery Instructions
You should refrain from sleeping on your cheeks for the first few days after receiving an injection. Make a step to sleep on your back with your head facing the ceiling. It would help if you also avoided strenuous exercise for at least 48 hours after the injection procedure, allowing the filler to take shape completely.
Likewise, it is essential to refrain from touching your face and to keep it as clean and dry as possible for the time being until the possibility of infection has passed.
Risks And Side Effects
Fillers for the cheeks are a relatively risk-free procedure that only takes a short time to recover. However, this does not indicate there is no possibility of experiencing adverse effects. Inflammation, bruising, itching, and redness are some of the most common adverse reactions to cheek fillers.
There is always a possibility of developing an allergic reaction or infection when using any dermal filler. Other, less common adverse effects include:
- Filler leaking.
- Tissue death due to flow obstruction.
- Damage to your veins or arteries.
- Even vision loss.
All of these adverse effects can be caused by dermal fillers.
There is also a slight chance of the material used for the injection migrating to other areas of your face, resulting in an appearance that is lumpy or asymmetrical. If this does occur, your physician may inject another substance into the filler to dissolve it, or you may wait for the filler material to be metabolized on its own.
If you consider a provider who lacks a license or has little experience, you run a greater risk of experiencing unusual adverse effects.
Takeaway
In comparison to other cosmetic procedures, cheek fillers are relatively straightforward. It’s simple and easy, and you can expect it almost immediately! Cheek filler injections should only be performed by providers with extensive experience and who are licensed. If that’s the case, consider contacting our clinic, Preva Aesthetics. We aim to deliver services tailored to each client’s specific needs.