Thank you for your question.
You submitted your question with a photo.
And you’re asking, can you correct cheek asymmetry or facial asymmetry non-surgically.
And you describe further in the details of your question a situation where you are well
aware of asymmetry in your face since childhood.
And that in the past two years, it has become more noticeable for you and you want to know
if there’s anything you can do.
Well, I can certainly share with you how I discuss very similar types of concern with
patients who come to my practice every day.
A little bit of background, I’m a Board-certified cosmetic surgeon and Fellowship-trained oculofacial
plastic and reconstructive surgeon.
I have been in practice in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years.
Helping people improve their facial appearance from both genetic causes as well as age-related
causes has been a significant part of my practice and has continued to evolve as technologies
and techniques have improved.
So I think you certainly recognize what is a situation that applies to pretty much everyone.
And I always explain to my patients that our facial appearance is actually guided mostly
by our bone structure and the bone structure is like the foundation of everything else.
So when you look at yourself and notice one side looking a little bit different than the
other, it begins from that level.
And so very typically, we would have a discussion about just natural asymmetry and then discuss
ways to improve symmetry.
So to begin with, when it comes to cheek asymmetry, a common strategy that I employ is to do something
called Structural Volumizing and the logic is basically this.
When you look at ways to enhance facial appearance, when it comes to volume correction, you can
place what is generally used something called fillers, fillers that are mostly in the hyaluronic
acid family, for example such as Restylane or Juvederm and all of the different respective
filler families.
You are either placing it at the skin level, below the skin or in our case, we actually
place it at the bone structural level and this is actually a specific methodology that
is not commonly practiced.
The reason I do that is that I feel that when you address volume at the foundation, you
get a much more natural appearance.
And so whether it’s someone who is young who has a concern about asymmetry that is
naturally part of their anatomy or someone older who is losing volume from bone loss
and soft tissue loss, Structural Volumizing has become an invaluable tool in my approach
to helping patients with these concerns.
So to answer you question, is there a way to make a correction non-surgically, the answer
is yes.
However, it is important to recognize that there is a certain amount of maintenance needed
when you start using fillers.
And it’s not because you are dependent on fillers.
People often express concerns to me about becoming dependent or they would look worse
after not using fillers.
And I explain that there’s a big distinction.
When you are making up for a relative deficit, whether it’s from genetics or aging, well
you’re not really stretching anything.
You are actually placing volume in a space that gives you a certain amount of permission
to add volume before going to that point where things get very stretched.
From my aesthetic, being stretched is never an aesthetic goal.
And so I always remind our patients is that we’re doing something that I would refer
to more as a correction which means a conservative placement of a certain amount of volume to
achieve a certain desired outcome.
Now when you do place volume at the bone level, I tend to use more volume than you would when
you place the material superficially.
So this is something that, as you are doing your research, you should be comfortable with
the doctor you decide to go with.
I think it is very important to meet with a doctor who can discuss this in detail for
you, with you, and go over this strategic understanding.
I routinely see my patients after two weeks to look at the level of improvement and it’s
essentially a getting to know the patient process that’s intrinsic to my developing
a sense of feel as to what that patient needs as the material eventually diminishes.
Now when it comes to Structural Volumizing, one of the nice things about this method is
that you actually have the benefit of the fillers actually lasting longer.
Generally speaking, you can achieve a result that can last over a year.
And as the material breaks down, you don't necessarily go all the way back to where you
started but I would say that there is an opportunity to do some maintenance again depending on
the rate on which the material breaks down.
So meet with experienced physicians who perform this type of procedure and learn about your
options and come to an idea of what is a desirable outcome that you would find satisfactory and
then try this out.
What’s really nice about using a filler like hyaluronic acid filler is that when you
use something like this, it’s of course very safe and it is very easy to work with.
It is also reversible.
So if someone doesn't like an outcome, they can always have this material dissolved and
that’s a huge advantage.
Very rarely is that necessary but it is nice to have that option in case you would need
it.
So I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck and thank you for your question.