DENTISTRY & FACIAL AESTHETICS BESPOKE | CALM | CARING WETHERBY | YORKSHIRE
CHEEK and MID-FACE TREATMENTS
WHY DO WE TREAT THE CHEEK and MID-FACE WITH FILLER?
Treatment of the cheek and mid-face with dermal filler can be used as standalone treatments or in combination with other areas e.g. jowls, nadolabial folds and tear trough regions
The cheeks are a centre point to the face and an important element in facial attractiveness. Well-defined the cheeks symbolise a youthful appearance, they create balance to the face and improve the facial profile.
Cheek fillers are used to create high-arched cheek bones, with a natural appearance, for younger patients wanting more contour or to restore mid-face volume/fullness for clients who have lost volume through the natural ageing process. Over time the face loses structural fat in certain areas causing the cheeks to become flat and saggy, giving way to a "sunken" look. With the correct thickness of hyaluronic acid filler placed directly and specifically around the cheekbones and moulded we can lift and define natural cheekbone structure. The main aim of subtle cheek treatments is to reestablish a youthful face shape in the correct proportions.
We often treat cheeks as part of full-face and combination treatments to lift the mid and lower face- deepening of the nose to mouth (nasolabial) and mouth to chin (marionette) lines is often due to a combination of problems caused by ageing. With age, we lose fat and volume in the midface/cheek which leads to the skin becoming unsupported (like a tent) and the excess skin sliding down the face. This leads to deepening of these lines and eventually jowls forming. By re-supporting the skin where there has been volume loss i.e the cheeks it will soften developing lines and creases below it.
Beautification and masculinisation - we can define and enhance the cheek bone to create a more oval or "upside-down" triangle of youth and to feminise the face shape. We can also "plump" and create a well-supported "apple of the cheek" which is another feature of a youthful face. Treatment to this area can enhance the overall facial appearance.
Restoration and Rejuvenation - as part of the natural ageing process fat deposits are redistributed in the face. In women this can change the face from a feminine inverted triangle shape to a more masculine square appearance. As part of the full-face approach, we do have to consider combination cheek/mid-face filler treatments to the cheeks to support the excess skin which has fallen and caused the development of jowls. As 'jowls' develop definition to the jaw line can be lost leading to a dissatisfying appearance. When planned and placed correctly in this region, filler treatment can create a slimming effect or balance your front or side profile with effects ranging from subtle enhancement to transformational change.
A full assessment is always carried out in line with Amy's full-face approach to ensure suitability for the treatment, plan your treatment needs and approach.
WHAT DOES TREATMENT INVOLVE?
Cheek and mid-face treatments are simple but delicate procedures where Amy uses both cannula and needle techniques for maximal safety alongside precision. We can numb you with numbing creams if desired to ensure minimal discomfort and bruising, allowing us to build and sculpt the mid-face to the desired shape and definition.
ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS?
This is a very safe procedure when performed in experienced hands. As we minimise the use of needles, there is minimal bruising or downtime. If bruising does occur, it usually fades in a week or so and can be covered with make up the following day.
WHAT IS HYALURONIC ACID FILLER?
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring complex sugar in your body that helps to provide volume, structure, elasticity and moisture to your skin. As you age you lose your natural hyaluronic acid. The bones, muscles and fat pads also change affecting your facial shape. This leads to the signs of ageing as seen by facial volume loss, reduced skin elasticity, folds and wrinkles.
One third of the body’s hyaluronic acid is naturally removed and replaced every day. However, naturally occurring hyaluronic acid production decreases with age. Synthetic hyaluronic acid used in facial aesthetics, dermal fillers and lip fillers has been cross-linked and stabilised to produce natural, long lasting smooth result.
Dermal filler is a smooth injectable gel containing hyaluronic acid designed to replace the hyaluronic acid you have lost. It does this by filling the space of volume loss which improves folds and wrinkles, as well as attracting water to replenish moisture to your skin. It also has a biological effect on your own hyaluronic acid by encouraging it to increase collagen and elastin production which improves skin integrity and quality. Overall, this restores a natural and youthful appearance.
HOW IS THE TREATMENT ADMINISTERED?
We can numb you with numbing cream (or with a full dental block (numbing injections) for lips treatments) to ensure your treatment is totally pain free. The hyaluronic acid filler is then injected into the treatment area with very fine needles to ensure minimal discomfort and bruising, allowing us to sculpt the lips to the desired shape and fullness.
In many cases, we can use a round, blunt ended micro cannula to deliver the product to the treatment area with one tiny entry point either side of the mouth without the need to use any needles!
WHAT IS THE MICRO-CANNULA TECHNIQUE?
Amy has had advanced training in an alternative, in addition, to using needles called micro-cannulas to inject dermal fillers. There is a role for both methods of injection, the cannula method offers excellent benefits to patients. Using a single access point, it is possible to use fillers in the cheeks, all the way from the middle to the outer edge of the face. Instead of using multiple injections to the lips, it’s possible to get to the top and bottom lips from two access points located at the corners of the mouth. Reduced entry points are needed instead of using multiple injections with needles. Those same corners of the mouth points also offer access to nasolabial folds and the marionettes lines, which extend from the corner of the mouth down towards the jawline.
With just four injection points, it’s possible to add volume to the lips, lower face, middle face, and cheeks.
Benefits include:
- Reduced discomfort with fewer injections with sharp needles There is very little discomfort using a microcannula (often just a strange “pushing” feeling) but there is very little pain.
- Decreased Risk of Bleeding and Bruising- Sharp needles can pierce veins and arteries beneath the skin. Since blunt cannulas simply push aside any arteries and veins encountered beneath the skin, there’s a reduced risk of bleeding and bruising.
- Safer When using needles for filler injections, one of the riskier (and thankfully very rare) potential complications is placing filler into an artery, which can cause tissue death. Cannulas do not pierce arteries, so they offer a much safer option for patients.
- Minimal Downtime Needle injected filler treatments can cause minor swelling and bruising and they often have some social downtime. Micro-cannula methods cut down on swelling and bruising so there is minimal downtime post-procedure.
- Greater Flexibility A much larger surface area can be treated with just a single entry site when using micro-cannula, making it possible to treat more areas with fewer injection points.
When are needle techniques preferred?
- When a very small amount of filler are needed for adjustments and when fillers are planned for small places like the cupid’s bow of the upper lip. Cannulas may not be ideal for filling acne scars or injecting extremely fine lines located on the skin’s superficial surface.
WILL I HAVE AN UNNATURAL APPEARANCE or “LOOK OVER DONE”?
Amy's aim is always to create treatment results which are in harmony with your facial features and that are within the limits of accepted natural beauty proportions.
Unnatural results including over-contoured, “alien-like” features, over-filled “pillow-face” and lip treatments that are referred to as “trout pouts”, are caused when too much product is used often with incorrect or poorly planned placement.
For most areas of the face, we can build a result over time for a more balanced, gradual result. For the treatment of asymmetry or where the areas of the face and profile are out of proportion, dermal fillers can enhance and balance with targeted treatment.
As an experienced dentist, Amy is very aware of what natural anatomy should be like, and we are familiar with facial proportions in addition to assessing our patients from the front and side profile alongside the role of dental support in the face shape and profile.
Due to the nature of the procedure, there is often some short-term swelling associated which with good aftercare and techniques we can minimise and help you plan for.
WHAT PRODUCTS ARE USED?
There are many types of filler. Each differs in the concentration of hyaluronic acid, the number of cross links, and the stiffness or hardness of the gel. As we all age differently this will affect which type and how much dermal filler you will need depending on your degree of volume lost, the depth of the fold or wrinkle being treated and the desired treatment outcome. You’ll see results as soon as your appointment is over as the aesthetic results are immediate.
Hyaluronic Acid Fillers are absorbed into the body over time, so the aesthetic effects are not permanent- but it is important they are placed correctly for safety and long term structure/shape.
Treatments can slow and halt undesired effects of aging but you will require top-ups if you want to maintain the same effect. Most fillers provide an immediate noticeable improvement with lasting results (up to one year). The longevity of the product varies pending on age, area injection site, quality of skin, lifestyle, healthiness and is usually 6-12 months (face) and 3-6 months (lips).
At Contemporary Aesthetics, we use high-quality, extensively tested dermal filler product ranges with an excellent safety profile. Products by Juvederm (Vycross and Ultra), Restylane and Teoxane/Teosyal can be requested and Amy will always recommend the product that would best fit your treatment goals.
Please click below to find out more about the dermal filler ranges used by Amy:
WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS and IS IT SAFE?
Dermal filler treatments area safe procedures when performed in experienced hands. Amy uses a combination of micro cannula (tiny blunt-ended tubes) where possible and very fine needles which reduces bruising and downtime. In the event that bruising does occur, it usually fades in a week or so and can be covered with make up the following day.
Risks of complications are low, though complications can happen even in the most experienced of hands. Some minimal bruising and swelling is not uncommon (post procedure that can last 24-48 hours)- though the extent is significantly less than any surgical procedure.
Dermal fillers are made of naturally occurring hyaluronic acid which is dissolvable and reversible in both an emergency situation or by choice after the settling period- though this is rarely ever required. As Amy is prescribing dentist, both clinics hold stock of all appropriate emergency products, ensuring the safest possible environment for your treatment.