FACIAL PLASTIC SURGEON VIRGINIA
Mid-Face Lift Surgery
Dr. V rejuvenates the mid-face with expertly performed cheek lifts that smooth smile lines, and restore youthful contour without adding volume.
Mid-Face Lift Surgery
Dr. V rejuvenates the mid-face with expertly performed cheek lifts that smooth smile lines, and restore youthful contour without adding volume.
FACIAL PLASTIC SURGEON VIRGINIA
Everything You Need to Know About Mid-Face Lift
Does your face seem flatter or heavier than it used to? Have you noticed deeper folds around your mouth or larger hollows under your eyes? Have your friends recently begun to suggest that you always look sad, angry, or tired? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", you are probably experiencing one of the earliest and most obvious signs of aging: sagging cheeks.
Loss of Volume in the Cheeks
As we age, the malar fat pad that sits atop our cheekbone and gives our face its contoured look and youthful fullness begins to slip down toward the nose and mouth. This sagging pulls down the lower eyelids, making our eyes appear hollow and tired, and simultaneously pushes tissues down around the mouth, creating deep wrinkles around the corners of the mouth. Amazingly, even minute changes in this critical mid-face region can significantly impact the appearance of your entire face!
What Can I Do?
Luckily, reversing this early sign of aging and restoring your face's natural contours is easier than most people assume, and can be done without injectables or noticeable scarring. A cheek lift, or mid-face lift, repositions the malar far pad onto the cheekbone, thus restoring the youthful fullness of the cheeks. Moreover, once the malar fat pad is in the correct position, the skin is no longer weighed down and can snap back into place, giving the lower eyelids a refreshed, rejuvenated appearance. In fact, a cheek lift can be more effective than a traditional facelift in addressing the upper cheeks and lower eyelids, because a facelift merely stretches the skin without restoring fullness. Moreover, the results of a cheek lift are more permanent than a traditional facelift with injectables, and involve less visible scarring and a shorter recovery time.
Day of Surgery
During a cheek lift, Dr. V carefully separates the malar fat pad, adjoining muscle, and nearby tissue from the cheekbone. She then moves them into the correct position, and permanently re-sutures to the cheekbone. This is done through small incisions inside the gum line of the mouth and/or above the hairline near the temple, taking care not to affect the hair follicles to minimize scarring. The procedure is generally conducted under general anesthesia, and takes about two hours when not combined with additional procedures.
Mid-Face Lift Recovery
Recovery from a cheek lift procedure usually requires about two weeks, depending on the health of the individual and each patient's unique ability to heal. While pain is generally minimal, most patients will find that their cheeks and lower lips are numb and swollen after the surgery; elevation of the head and regular use of cold compresses are recommended to alleviate these symptoms. It is important to keep the incisions clean by following instructions on external hygiene near the sutures and maintaining proper oral hygiene. Strenuous activity and extensive sun exposure should be avoided for several weeks after surgery. Results should become visible within a week or two once the initial swelling diminishes, and patients will see continued improvement in their appearance as the residual swelling subsides over the course of a month or two.
Day of Surgery
During a cheek lift, Dr. V carefully separates the malar fat pad, adjoining muscle, and nearby tissue from the cheekbone. She then moves them into the correct position, and permanently re-sutures to the cheekbone. This is done through small incisions inside the gum line of the mouth and/or above the hairline near the temple, taking care not to affect the hair follicles to minimize scarring. The procedure is generally conducted under general anesthesia, and takes about two hours when not combined with additional procedures.
Mid-Face Lift Recovery
Recovery from a cheek lift procedure usually requires about two weeks, depending on the health of the individual and each patient's unique ability to heal. While pain is generally minimal, most patients will find that their cheeks and lower lips are numb and swollen after the surgery; elevation of the head and regular use of cold compresses are recommended to alleviate these symptoms. It is important to keep the incisions clean by following instructions on external hygiene near the sutures and maintaining proper oral hygiene. Strenuous activity and extensive sun exposure should be avoided for several weeks after surgery. Results should become visible within a week or two once the initial swelling diminishes, and patients will see continued improvement in their appearance as the residual swelling subsides over the course of a month or two.
Day of Surgery
During a cheek lift, Dr. V carefully separates the malar fat pad, adjoining muscle, and nearby tissue from the cheekbone. She then moves them into the correct position, and permanently re-sutures to the cheekbone. This is done through small incisions inside the gum line of the mouth and/or above the hairline near the temple, taking care not to affect the hair follicles to minimize scarring. The procedure is generally conducted under general anesthesia, and takes about two hours when not combined with additional procedures.
Mid-Face Lift Recovery
Recovery from a cheek lift procedure usually requires about two weeks, depending on the health of the individual and each patient's unique ability to heal. While pain is generally minimal, most patients will find that their cheeks and lower lips are numb and swollen after the surgery; elevation of the head and regular use of cold compresses are recommended to alleviate these symptoms. It is important to keep the incisions clean by following instructions on external hygiene near the sutures and maintaining proper oral hygiene. Strenuous activity and extensive sun exposure should be avoided for several weeks after surgery. Results should become visible within a week or two once the initial swelling diminishes, and patients will see continued improvement in their appearance as the residual swelling subsides over the course of a month or two.
Why Choose Us for Your Mid-Face Lift?
The contours of our cheek and mid-face region play an essential role in the overall appearance of the face, and changes to the cheeks can have a dramatic impact on both the eyes and the mouth, even if those structures are not directly touched during surgery.
Thus, it is critical that any cheek lift or other facial procedure be conducted only by an experienced, Board Certified plastic surgeon. Dr. Trang Vo-Nguyen (Dr. V), founder of and lead facial plastic surgeon at The Virginia Institute for Surgical Arts in Chantilly, VA, has a thorough understanding of how the structures of the face work together to create each individual's unique beauty. By combining her cutting-edge knowledge of the most up-to-date surgical techniques and her keen eye for individual facial aesthetics, Dr. V ensures that each of her patients achieves the refreshed, rejuvenated appearance they are seeking.
Related Procedures
Explore other procedures that complement blepharoplasty for a complete transformation.
Asian Blepharoplasty
A double eyelid surgery, more commonly known as Asian eyelid surgery, involves the creation of an upper eyelid crease to widen the eyes. This procedure is also referred to as the Westernization of the eyelids. A recent surgical procedure for fat reduction from the eyelids involves redistributing the fat through the tear trough which has the added advantage of avoiding the sunken look after the fat has been removed.
Brow Lift
A brow lift rejuvenates the upper face by lifting sagging brows, smoothing forehead wrinkles, and providing a more youthful, alert appearance. It can be performed using various techniques, including endoscopic methods, ensuring minimal scarring and a natural look.
Facelift
A facelift tightens loose skin, smoothens deep folds, and repositions facial tissues for a comprehensive rejuvenation of the mid-to-lower face. It addresses sagging skin, jowls, and deep lines, resulting in a refreshed and youthful contour.