What is Cheek Implant Surgery?

These days, people seek to improve virtually everything with surgery. That's why cheek implants are gaining in popularity, used to give people more definition to their face. Often people choose this type of cosmetic surgery to help their cheekbones fit in more harmoniously with other facial features, while on occasion the surgery is used to correct a deformity, accident or previous surgery. Sometimes this surgery is combined with chin implants or a nose job or facelift for maximum effect, while occasionally cheek implants are inserted on their own to put an end to sunken, hollowed cheeks.

What Does the Procedure Entail?

Before the operation, you and your surgeon should discuss at length what look you hope to achieve, then pick out the right size implant. Then he or she will make a tiny incision, either inside the upper part of your lip or lower eyelid. A small pocket over your jawbone will then be created, which is where the implant will be slipped in. If you are having other facial plastic surgery at the same time, other incisions used for those procedures may be made use of instead to minimise cutting.

General anaesthesia is recommended while occasionally a local anaesthetic combined with a sedative is used. An overnight stay is required although the surgery usually takes less than two hours.

What Kind of Implants are Used?

The implants are either solid or semi-solid, made of silicone, polythene or your own body tissue. They are held in place by a variety of different means, either by metal screws, your own cheek muscles or stitches.

What is the Recovery Period Like?

Bruising and swelling are commonplace, but in the vast majority of cases this subsides within two weeks. You may need to have your head elevated while you sleep for a while, and in some cases a liquid diet is necessary to follow for a few days as you may experience restrictions chewing. Numbness is not likely but not uncommon.

Could There Be Any Complications?

Like any surgical procedure, especially one where general anaesthesia is recommended, there are risks. These can include infection, blood clots, swelling, excessive fluid collection or scarring. You may experience capsular contracture, be unhappy with the results or suffer from improper implant replacement, and you may also experience difficulties talking or smiling following the operation. Silicone carries its own potential risks. In extremely rare cases, your body's immune system may react to the implant as it would to a foreign body and reject it, making removal necessary.

How Much do Cheek Implants Cost?

Cheek implants can cost anywhere from £1,500 - £3,000 and up. The good news is that silicone implants are designed to last a lifetime, so hopefully they'll never need to be replaced. Ones made of human tissue may need replacing over time.

Cheek implants can often change facial definition radically, making the cheeks appear higher and fuller. But keep in mind that sometimes flat or sunken-looking cheeks are the result of your facial bone definition, not the cheeks themselves. Talk with your GP and/or surgeon to see if there are any alternatives to surgery, and always use a Board certified surgeon, or one who is a member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) for best results.