The midface or cheek region spans an area form the lower eyelid to the smile line or nasolabial fold. The midface commonly shows early signs of aging, including lower eyelid bags, deep smile lines and flattening of the cheek. Aging in this area is usually from the descent of cheek fat and/or the loss of facial fat from either weight loss, smoking, sun damage, or genetics. It is not uncommon for a patient in their twenties to complain of lower eyelid puffiness or deep lines (tear trough). There are multiple options for correcting the aging midface including non-invasive, minimally invasive and open type procedures. The choice of midface procedure depends on the degree of aging and the goals of the patient.
Non-invasive procedures such as volumetric fillers can be performed in the office under local anesthesia. Voluma® is a new product which can be injected in the cheek to replace volume that has been lost in this region.
Endoscopic midface lifts are surgical procedures which are performed through a hairline incision with a camera (endoscope) and long instruments to release and raise the cheek area. An open midface lift is performed through a lower eyelid incision and like the endoscopic approach releases and raises the cheek area. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty procedures are typically done in conjunction with a surgical midface lift to help tighten the skin and muscle of the lower eyelid.
Recovery form any midface procedure is about one week and can extend to 3 weeks if a lower eyelid or facelift is performed in conjunction with it.
