Cheekbone enhancement and reduction reshape the mid-face. Enhancement (augmentation) adds projection to flat or sunken cheeks using implants, fillers or fat grafting. Reduction narrows a wide mid-face by removing buccal fat or trimming and repositioning the cheekbone. It helps people with flat, hollow or overly prominent cheeks.
- AnaesthesiaLocal or general anaesthesia
- DurationTypically 1 to 2 hours
- Hospital stayDay case or one night
- Back to routineUsually 1 to 2 weeks
What is cheekbone enhancement and reduction?
Cheekbone augmentation raises low or sunken cheekbones and restores mid-face volume lost with age. It can be done with solid silicone implants, the preferred option for lasting change, or with fillers or fat grafting. Augmentation is sometimes combined with a facelift, rhinoplasty or forehead lift.
Cheek reduction treats a wide mid-face or prominent cheekbones that make the face look larger. Options are buccal fat removal, which takes out the fat pads inside the cheeks, or cheekbone reduction, in which the bone is trimmed or repositioned through an incision inside the mouth or behind the hairline.
Results are visible straight away, with swelling settling over the following days and weeks.
Who is cheekbone enhancement and reduction for?
- Augmentation: narrow face with flat cheeks, age-related fat loss, or a flat mid-face
- Reduction: wide mid-face or prominent cheekbones
- Cheekbones that look dented, shadowed or overly prominent at an angle
- Healthy non-smokers, or those willing to stop one week before and two weeks after
How is it done?
- Consultation to choose implants, filler, fat, buccal fat removal or bone reduction
- Augmentation: under general or local anaesthesia, silicone implants are placed through an incision inside the upper lip or below the lower eyelid
- Buccal fat reduction: an outpatient procedure through the inside of the mouth
- Cheekbone reduction: under general anaesthesia, the bone is trimmed or repositioned through an incision inside the mouth or behind the hairline
- May be done as a day case depending on the technique
What is recovery like?
- Swelling typically fades within about 7 days and bruising within about 3 weeks
- Dissolvable stitches disappear within a few weeks
- A soft diet may be needed if the incision is inside the mouth
- Walking and light activity right away; avoid vigorous exercise for at least two weeks
- Tape over the cheek may be used to protect the area
What are the risks?
- Pain, tightness, heaviness and swelling
- Numbness around the incisions or central cheeks, usually resolving within weeks
- Bleeding; bleeding that does not stop after ten minutes needs urgent contact with the surgeon
- Infection or implant shift
- Asymmetry
Why choose Dr. Jithendran?
- Dual training in orthopaedics (MS) and plastic surgery (MCh, DNB), with hand and microsurgery experience from Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore
- Consults at five hospitals across Bengaluru, with 24×7 availability for emergencies
- Clear explanations in English, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu, and time to answer every question
- Strict sterilisation and patient-privacy standards
Frequently asked questions
What are the options for cheek augmentation?
Cheeks can be enhanced with solid silicone implants, dermal fillers or fat grafting. Implants give lasting projection and are often preferred, while fillers are non-surgical but temporary. Your surgeon will recommend an option based on your face shape and goals.
What is buccal fat removal?
Buccal fat removal takes out the fat pads inside the cheeks to slim a full or round mid-face. It is an outpatient procedure done through a small incision inside the mouth, so there is no visible scar.
How is cheekbone reduction done?
Under general anaesthesia, the cheekbone is trimmed or repositioned through an incision inside the mouth or behind the hairline. Sometimes the bone size is kept and only its position is changed to narrow the face.
How long does swelling last after cheek surgery?
Swelling usually fades within about a week and bruising within about three weeks. Numbness around the cheeks typically improves over a few weeks. Results are visible immediately but continue to refine as swelling settles.
Will I need a special diet?
If the incision is inside the mouth, a soft diet is usually advised for the first days, along with careful mouth hygiene. Your surgeon will tell you when you can return to normal foods.
