Cheek enlargement

Table of contents:

What is a cheek augmentation?

High cheekbones are seen as a sign of beauty. Just look at women like Angelina Jolie and Kate Moss. Because women usually have fuller cheeks than men, they are seen as a sign of femininity. They radiate health and youth – as you can see in these photos. Cheek augmentation is also often performed in the context of a Facial Feminization Surgery.

Some people do not have high cheekbones, others may have had high cheekbones in the past, but these have become flatter over the years. Whatever the problem, we have a solution for it: cheek augmentation with implants or lipofilling. We enlarge your cheeks to make you look youthful and healthy again.

Implants or lipofilling?

There are two ways to enlarge cheeks: a fat graft (where fat is taken from another part of your body, usually from the abdomen, thighs or hips) or implants (if you don't have enough fat). 

Implants

At 2pass Clinic we use PEEK implants. Dr. Bart van de Ven has already performed a large number of facial feminization operations on trans women, and he prefers these implants. Why? Because these appear to deliver the best results in the long term. This is because they are made to measure for the patient. After a CBCT scan, the company Avint creates the PEEK implants. This way they always fit perfectly, stay in the right place, and there is no risk of infection.

Fat grafting

If you naturally have enough fat, you can opt for cheek augmentation through a fat transplant or lipofilling.

The advantages

  • A natural result;
  • No scar;
  • Performed under local anesthesia.
  • The PEEK implants are shaped to your preference using a CBCT scan taken several weeks before surgery. They are attached with small screws so that they stay firmly in place.

Lipofilling

Lipofilling can be performed under local or general anesthesia. Local anesthesia is only used when only small amounts of fat are needed. If this procedure is combined with other procedures, it will usually be done under general anesthesia. The donor site (where the fat will be extracted) is always injected with a mixture of local anesthetic and adrenaline to reduce the chance of postoperative discomfort and bruising.

  • Removal—A portion of the scalp is removed at the hairline near the forehead.
  • Mobilization—The scalp is released from the skull and pulled forward. Normally a reduction of 1 to 1,5 cm can be achieved. 

Recovery

The incision in your mouth will be closed after the operation using dissolvable stitches - so that they disappear on their own. We recommend that you rinse your mouth with mouthwash two to three times a day. You will receive this mouthwash after the operation. It helps keep your mouth free of bacteria and heals the wound. The stitches will be completely dissolved after about two weeks.

You will also experience the usual side effects of surgery:

  • Swelling (the first two weeks)—Immediately after surgery, the injected area may be swollen and bruised. At first the correction may look a bit exaggerated due to the overcorrection (see procedure). To reduce swelling, we recommend sleeping on three pillows so that your face is higher than the rest of your body.
  • After about three weeks, about 80% of the bruising and swelling will have disappeared.
  • Temporary numbness of the area.
  • Your cheeks may feel sore and stiff.
  • After four months you will get a good impression of what the end result will be after six months.