Question: I have a depression in my skin under my cheek bone. What is causing it? What can I do about it?
Answer:
This is called the submalar depression. It appears as tissues over the cheeks, which sit very high when we are young, slide down a bit. As tissue slides down, the tissue below them is folded in.
Today we have a wide range of treatments starting with filler, usually Voluma, over the cheeks to a mid-face lift, a cheek implant, or both. Voluma is a hyaluronic acid filler (it can be dissolved with an enzyme called hyaluronidase) which is very stiff and thick. It is designed specifically to add volume to this area, which is why it’s called Voluma. Surgery and Voluma have the same purpose – to support the tissues that are sliding down.
Most people start with Voluma because it is done in the office and is easier and less expensive than surgery. Injecting Voluma raises the tissues, and a little is put directly under the depression as well to support it.
Dr. Morgan suggests that you start with 1 cc of Voluma to be sure you like the result. However, 1 cc is often not enough. Many people need more to get the result they want. It can take anywhere from 2 – 5 ccs of Voluma, depending on how much support the cheek tissues need. When more than 3 ccs are needed, it is time to consider surgery instead, because the cost of the temporary filler will add up to as much as surgery. On the other hand, Voluma is a no-down-time office procedure and for many people, that still makes it preferable to surgery and the 1-2 weeks of recovery that it requires.
If you are seeing those submalar creases – call us for more information.
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