If you want to look younger and more vibrant like Jennifer Lopez the answer may be in a simple procedure that gives you plump, lifted cheeks. After all, a naturally youthful face has a heart shape with more fullness in the cheeks and tapering toward the chin. And it’s a quality that we see lots of celebrities try to achieve.
“Full cheeks are the cornerstone of a youthful looking face,” says Morristown, NJ, plastic surgeon Brian S. Glatt, MD. “Jennifer Lopez has beautiful cheek fullness as does Angelina Jolie. Madonna and Meg Ryan look overfilled, and Lindsay Lohan also looks a bit ridiculous lately with her overfilled cheeks.”
With age, we lose fullness and fat in our faces, and what remains starts to descend, leaving the cheeks looking more empty, Dr. Glatt explains. However, a number of interventions can help to restore this loss of volume. One in particular is cheek implants placed on the bone and under the soft tissue which can permanently restore shape, but require surgery.
If surgery isn’t your cup of tea, there are less-invasive options, too.
“Fat grafting is an excellent solution to restore cheek volume,” Dr. Glatt says. “This involves taking fat from a place of excess (the abdomen or thighs) with liposuction, purifying the fat component and then re-injecting it into the cheek areas. This procedure can cause bruising for up to one to two weeks, but is also extremely long-lasting.”
Injectable fillers, such as hyaluronic acid, are the easiest solutions, and cause less discomfort and bruising. Yet, the effects of fillers last only a year or two.
“Fat is likely the best filler for the cheeks as it replicates exactly what has been lost and provides a natural and full, long-lasting effect,” he says.
Of course, to fully restore that heart shape to your face, your doctor may also opt to treat the area under your eyes or even more advanced solutions.
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