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Do sunken cheeks mean you are getting old?? You have not been dieting on purpose, yet your face keeps getting thinner. Is it nutritional imbalance, insufficient skin care, or early aging? Sunken cheeks not only make you look several years older, but also make you look tired and lifeless. So how can sunken cheeks be improved? What causes them? What are the signs of early aging mentioned above, and how can you check yourself for them? This article answers all of these questions, and we will share solutions at the end too!!
What Are the Signs of Early Aging?
- Enlarged pores: Because of insufficient moisture, collagen is lost and skin elasticity declines. The structure supporting the area around the pores loosens, and the pores gradually get bigger.
- Dull, lackluster skin tone: Because of reduced water retention in the stratum corneum, metabolism slows down, resulting in a lackluster, dull complexion.
- Fine lines: As the skin ages and loosens and collagen is lost, the skin around the eyes, the thinnest in the body, is the most prone to fine lines (under-eye fine lines).
- Sunken temples: Mainly caused by the loss of collagen and elastin. Besides making the overall facial contour less smooth, it also makes you look older.
- Disappearing jawline and facial puffiness: Mainly caused by muscle laxity and fat displacement, which result in hollowing.
- Drooping eyebrows and a tired look: Because of gravity and skin aging, the skin loosens and loses its support, which may lead to brows pressing down on the eyes.
- Developing eye bags and tear troughs: As the skin structure ages and its support declines, hollows appear on the skin surface.
- Sunken cheeks and sagging apple cheeks: Caused by loosening and displacement of muscle tissue.
- Dry, flaky skin: As aging epidermal cells gradually flatten and metabolism slows down, the water content of the stratum corneum gradually declines.
- Nasolabial folds and marionette lines that keep getting deeper: Mainly because of insufficient volume of collagen and subcutaneous fat, which can no longer support the skin. If you already have lines, they will deepen even faster.
Taken together, these early aging signs suggest that early aging is mostly related to collagen and elastin. Next, let's look at the five main causes of early aging!
Five Main Causes of Early Aging
- Aging: As we get older, skin cells gradually lose their ability to regenerate, and the epidermis's ability to retain water and the skin's self-repair ability also decline. This causes collagen and elastic fibers to age, leading to enlarged pores, dullness, and sagging.
- Prolonged sun exposure: The skin's biggest enemy is UV light, which penetrates into the dermis and causes an increase in melanin, and also breaks collagen and elastic fibers in the skin, affecting its plumpness. In severe cases, hollowing and laxity may appear.
- Eating too much sugar: If you love sweets and sugary drinks, take note!! Sugar attaches to proteins in the blood and produces advanced glycation end products, or AGEs, which block the production of collagen and elastin, reduce cell repair, and leave the skin dull and sagging. (So if possible, cut back on sweets and drink water instead!)
- Lack of sleep: Studies show that people who sleep well have better skin hydration and a self-repair ability 30% higher than that of people who sleep poorly, along with fewer signs of internal aging. (This is why people say that getting enough sleep gives you better skin!!)
- Heavy smoking: Besides harming your health, smoking also affects the skin. Studies show that smoking damages collagen production and also reduces the production of collagen, elastic fibers, and proteoglycans, causing the skin to lose elasticity and become hollow and loose.
Types and Causes of Sunken Cheeks
Facial Hollowing Falls into Three Types: Structural, Volume Loss, and Laxity
- Structural cause:
Structural hollowing is often related to naturally occurring facial bone structure, such as a flatter face, relatively wide cheekbones, or a recessed jaw. Structural sunken cheeks mainly come from family genetics, and may also be caused by orthodontics or facial surgery later in life that shifts the facial bones slightly, so people of any gender and age may struggle with structural sunken cheeks! - Volume-loss cause:
Volume-loss sunken cheeks are related to loss of fat and collagen or bone loss. Examples include major weight loss or gain, irregular lifestyle habits, natural aging, and illness, all of which can cause loss of deep facial tissue, so the cheeks lose their plump, glowing look. Complexion also looks worse, and the face may even become gaunt and aged-looking. - Laxity cause:
Sagging-type sunken cheeks are related to collapse of the base that originally supports the face and loosened ligaments. Because of gravity, all of these causes make the heavier tissue slide downward.
How Can Sunken Cheeks Be Fixed?
Q: Can eating more restore facial fat?
Q: Can massage help?
Q: What is the safest way to fix them?
Six Common Aesthetic Options Compared
Common aesthetic treatments for sunken cheeks include: hyaluronic acid filler, Ellansé, Radiesse, AestheFill, Sculptra, Vibella Magic Needle, and autologous fat transfer.
Hyaluronic Acid Filler
Hyaluronic acid, also called hyaluronan, is the first option most people think of, and hyaluronic acid filler is characterized by immediate results and no downtime.
Restylane Hyaluronic Acid | Europe's Leading Brand, OBT Dynamic Hyaluronic Acid
Hydermis Hyaluronic Acid | Made in Taiwan (MIT), the Top Budget Choice for Hyaluronic Acid
Juvéderm Hyaluronic Acid | Long-Lasting Hyaluronic Acid
Ellansé
Also known as the Young Girl Needle, it has two major advantages, immediate filling and collagen stimulation, with a high level of assurance for both results and safety. Ellansé can also deliver the combined characteristics of hyaluronic acid + Radiesse + Sculptra, providing long-lasting firmness and three-dimensional support, with results that last at least a year!
Radiesse
Radiesse, also known as micro-ceramic filler, is FDA-approved, 100% biocompatible and biodegradable, and provides support and lifting. Radiesse contains microspheres that form a scaffold after injection, letting newly generated collagen weave through the tissue to maintain the result. Radiesse is also a mineral component found in the human body, so it is highly compatible with the body and very safe to use!
AestheFill
AestheFill effectively improves skin condition while boosting fullness (it is a collagen stimulator). Its main ingredient is poly-D,L-lactic acid (PDLLA), a thermoplastic polymer synthesized from naturally renewable resources, with good biocompatibility and degradability.
When AestheFill is injected into the skin, it immediately fills the hollows left by lost collagen, producing an instant filling effect; about 1 to 2 weeks after injection, the excess fluid is absorbed by the body and the result looks more natural and better fitted; from about 4 to 8 weeks after treatment, the body starts to metabolize AestheFill, and the PDLLA it contains then stimulates collagen production, increasing skin elasticity while making the face fuller and plumper.
Sculptra (PLLA)
A great helper for slowing aging! It can stimulate more than 30 times the body's own collagen production, creating a plump, full, firm, bouncy effect, and it is fully broken down and metabolized by the body, so no special massage is needed after treatment and nodules or lumps are unlikely to form. It is a material chosen by many people looking to maintain their looks, and has been used safely in clinical medicine for more than 30 years.
Vibella Magic Needle
Magic Needle contains two ingredients, PDLLA and hyaluronic acid, a multi-effect poly-D,L-lactic acid (composite collagen stimulator) that combines the strengths of both. The Magic Needle comes in the White Youth Needle (small molecule) and the Black Youth Needle (large molecule), which can be chosen according to different skin concerns, and sunken cheeks can be improved with the Black Youth Needle, which stimulates collagen production while providing the instant filling of hyaluronic acid, specifically addressing deep hollows!
The Magic Needle is also the only PLA filler that can be injected directly into the dermis on the market. Thanks to its good biocompatibility and versatility, it can improve acne scars, stimulate collagen production, repair the skin, and address all skin concerns at once.
Autologous Fat Transfer
Autologous fat transfer means, as the name suggests, taking enough fat from your own body, purifying and separating the usable fat, then transferring it back into the cheeks to create a plump, full effect. Because the transferred fat comes from your own body, there is no rejection or allergic reaction afterward. Note, however, that you must take good care of yourself for three months after surgery so that the fat can gradually stabilize and survive!
| Hyaluronic acid filler | Ellansé | Radiesse | AestheFill | Sculptra (PLLA) | Vibella Magic Needle | Autologous fat transfer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to results | Immediate | Immediate | Immediate | Immediate | About 1-3 months | Immediate | About 3 months, until the fat has stabilized and survived |
| Duration of results | 6-12 months | 12-24 months | 12-24 months | 18-24 months | 24-36 months | 18-24 months | Permanent |
| Downtime | Back to work as usual the next day | Back to work as usual the next day | Back to work as usual the next day | Back to work as usual the next day | Back to work as usual the next day | Back to work as usual the next day | About one week (varies by method) |
| Precautions | 1. Avoid pressure on the treated area after treatment 2. Do not use hot water when washing your face, and wash gently 3. Step up moisturizing | 1. Avoid sleeping face down and massaging for three days. 2. Redness, swelling, and bruising can be relieved with cold compresses | 1. Avoid wearing masks that are too tight, so the injection sites are not compressed. 2. Mild redness, swelling, and warmth are normal and ease on their own in about one week | 1. No massage is needed after treatment. 2. Clean the face with cold water and use gentle skincare products to step up moisturizing | 1. Massage for five consecutive days, five times a day, to help the filler distribute evenly. 2. Massage gently; mild soreness is normal | 1. Must not be injected in the glabella, forehead, nose, or around the eye sockets. 2. For 48 hours, avoid applying irritating products and heavy makeup, and keep the area dry and uncontaminated. 3. Mild redness, swelling, and warmth are normal and ease on their own in about 1-2 weeks | 1. Slight swelling is normal; be sure to follow your doctor's aftercare instructions. 2. Until the fat is confirmed to have survived, do not massage or apply heat to the surgical area, to avoid breaking down the fat. 3. Avoid smoking and dieting, which can affect the fat survival rate |
The Best Value Pick? Sculptra, Ellansé, and AestheFill: Prices, Pros and Cons Revealed
This article is for general information only. Results vary from person to person; please consult a doctor in person before deciding on any treatment.
