What are cheek fillers?
At Lumier Medical, Dr. Lum specializes in cheek fillers. He uses robust fillers or biostimulators to restore or enhance volume in your cheeks. Less robust fillers can also create support to cheeks with a variety of sculpting methods perfected by Dr. Lum to give you a natural, youthful appearance. Examples of fillers that Dr. Lum commonly uses to restore facial volume include:
- Juvederm® VOLUMA XC - can last up to two years
- Juvederm® Ultra Plus injected using a mesh pattern technique
- Restylane®, Restylane® Lyft, Restylane® Defyne with scaffolding cannula technique
- Sculptra®, a potent biostimulator to help you build up your own collagen. Can last 25 months or longer
- Restylane® Refyne for finer cheek creases
See some of the amazing results he has achieved with VOLUMA XC and Sculptra® Aesthetic. He may use needles, cannulas or a combination of both to treat the cheek area depending on what he decides to be best for your circumstances.
After a thorough evaluation, Dr. Lum will recommend what treatment options will best meet your aesthetic needs and expectations. Some fillers last longer than others, but the effects of treatment can last up to 6-24 months or longer depending on the type and amount of filler used, your age, your condition, and areas treated.
What should I expect during cheek filler injections?
Before your procedure, Dr. Lum thoroughly cleans your skin with alcohol or Prevantics®, a surgical skin prep product. He may apply a topical anesthetic to make your procedure more comfortable.
Any injector can stick a needle in and inject a product, but will it be safe and will it look good? There is an art to (1) evaluate the face and strategize a treatment plan, (2) to skillfully perform the procedure so that you look naturally better.
An art and science philosophy recognizes that every face is slightly different. Dr. Lum’s approach to your face will be personalized to you for a practical way to enhance your natural appearance.
If you have a photograph of yourself in repose (without smiling) from years ago, please show it to Dr. Lum. He may use needles, cannulas or a combination of both using a palette of methodical techniques to artistically enhance your appearance.
Knowledge of anatomy, fat pads, blood vessels, nerves, filler properties and how they interact with soft tissue is where scientific knowledge and medical expertise are paramount.
Your treatment may take about 5-30 minutes, depending on the areas treated, type and amount of filler used.
Most of your appointment time will be spent to discuss goals, expectations, learn about possible risks and complications, to take confidential baseline and after treatment photographs for comparison and to allow your skin to become numb before your actual procedure.
After filler injections, you might experience:
- Redness at the injection site
- Mild tenderness
- Swelling
- Bruising
Cheek fillers are routine procedures, and you can resume normal daily activities right away after the procedure. You might notice restored facial volume immediately, with the final result appearing after several days or weeks. Biostimulators such as Sculptra® Aesthetic take up to five weeks per treatment to build up collagen. Subsequent treatments continue the collagen growth, which will add more and more volume to the desired degree of correction.
