Your cheeks used to have a bit more shape. Now they look flatter, your eyes look more tired and the lines from your nose to your mouth seem deeper. You might notice one of these changes much more than the others.
Midface filler replaces some of the volume lost from your cheeks. That can bring back their shape and improve the hollows and folds around them too.
If you're wondering why we'd talk about your cheeks when it's the lines beside your nose that bother you, there's a reason. Dr Alex will show you how the two can be connected.
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With Dr Alex, who teaches doctors, dentists and nurses across several dermal filler ranges.
What you've noticed
Do your cheeks look flatter than they used to?
Sometimes it's a change in cheek shape that makes the eyes or the lines around the mouth stand out more.
Your cheeks look flatter than they used to
You look tired around the eyes
The lines beside your nose look deeper
The practical details
Midface filler at a glance
You can see the cheek shape change during treatment. Here's what to know about the appointment and recovery.
The change you can see
More cheek shape, less of that tired look
Replacing lost cheek volume can make your eyes look less hollow and your nose-to-mouth folds less obvious.
The change may be easiest to see just beneath your eyes: the dip looks shallower, with less shadow where the lower eyelid meets the cheek. The front of your cheeks can regain some of its curve, and the folds beside your nose may soften.
You might want to get back a shape you've lost, or you'd like a little more definition than you've ever had. A more masculine or feminine appearance can be part of that discussion too. Dr Alex will talk through what would suit your face and the change you have in mind.
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Would this suit you?
When treating the cheeks could help
Dr Alex will look at where volume has been lost and whether replacing it would improve the part that bothers you.
When filler won't address the cause
Hollows, eye bags and loose skin need different approaches
Filler can soften a hollow, but it won't remove dark pigmentation, eye bags or excess skin. Adding it to an already puffy area can make that puffiness worse.
If sagging is the main concern, Dr Alex will explain what filler could contribute and whether skin treatment or a surgical opinion would be more useful.
How it works
Why cheeks can make a difference to the eyes and folds
Your cheeks help give the centre of your face its shape. When they lose volume, the changes can show above and below them.
With age, some of the fat beneath the skin shrinks or changes position, and the bone underneath changes too. The cheeks can flatten, leaving a deeper dip beneath the eyes and more obvious folds beside the nose.
Hyaluronic acid filler adds volume where it has been lost. This makes the hollows shallower, so they cast less shadow, and can soften the step between the cheek and the fold beside it. It doesn't rebuild bone.
That's why Dr Alex may suggest starting with the cheeks before treating a nose-to-mouth line. It doesn't mean adding more and more to the cheekbones will keep lifting the lower face.
Your appointment
Tell us what you'd like to look different
You might be thinking about your cheeks, or mainly about your eyes or smile lines. Dr Alex will examine them together and explain where treatment could help.
Start with what you've noticed
Talk through the recommendation
Restore the cheek shape
Aftercare and review
Why Dr Alex
Why choose Dr Alex for midface filler?
Dr Alex teaches doctors, dentists and nurses how to use dermal fillers across several ranges. He's currently a trainer for Evolus's Estyme fillers, and he's created educational injection content for MaiLi's international professional audience.
If you come to see him about a line beside your nose, he'll look at the cheek above it too. Sometimes restoring the cheek gives a better result than repeatedly filling the same crease. He'll explain why he's recommending it, so it doesn't feel as though you've arrived asking about one thing and been offered something else.
And if you're worried about big cheeks, tell him. You can discuss which changes you'd welcome, which you'd rather avoid and what any existing filler is already doing.
GMC-registered doctor · 7072776
Full Member of BCAM
International toxin trainer
Aesthetics Awards winner 2021
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards
Tenderness, swelling and bruising can occur. The area may also feel firmer while it settles.
Possible side effects
Other possible problems include unevenness, persistent swelling, lumps, infection and inflammatory reactions, which can develop later. Filler near the lower eyelid needs particular care if you already have puffiness.
An uncommon but serious risk is blockage of a blood vessel. This can damage skin and, rarely, affect vision or cause a stroke. Dr Alex will discuss these risks and the alternatives before treatment.
When to get urgent help
Contact SONÜ immediately if you develop unusual or increasing pain, pale skin, or a dusky or mottled colour around the treated area. Don't wait for a routine review. If you can't reach the clinic, seek urgent medical care.
Any change in vision, sudden weakness or difficulty speaking needs emergency medical help. Call 999 and tell them you've recently had dermal filler.
When treatment should wait
Filler is avoided during pregnancy or breastfeeding and when there is active infection or inflamed skin in the area. Tell Dr Alex about allergies, previous reactions, medical conditions, medicines and recent or planned dental work so he can assess the timing and suitability.
You can take time to think about the recommendation before deciding.
Treatment costs
How much does midface filler cost?
Treatment starts from £400 for the first 1 ml. We’ll agree the amount, areas and total cost with you before treatment.
Your questions
Questions about midface filler
Including cheek shape, under-eye shadows and when to treat the folds directly.
Is midface filler the same as cheek filler?
Can it help my nasolabial folds?
Would I still need tear trough filler?
Will it make my face wider?
Does it lift jowls?
What if I've already had cheek filler?
How long will the improvement last?
Can I return to work afterwards?
Does midface filler hurt?
Can I have a small amount first?
Related treatments
Cheeks, under-eyes or smile lines?
Cheek filler can also define the cheekbones, tear trough filler treats suitable under-eye hollows, and nasolabial-fold filler treats the lines beside the nose directly. Dr Alex can explain which would help most if these concerns overlap.
Your next step
Want to look a little more like you used to?
Book a consultation with Dr Alex at SONÜ in Hale, Altrincham. Talk through the flatter cheeks, tired-looking eyes or deeper folds you've noticed, and he'll explain what filler could improve and how he would approach it.
SONÜ Medical Aesthetics
34 Hale Road, Hale, Altrincham, WA14 2EX
Doctor-led treatment in a relaxed, private clinic
Close to Hale station and easy to reach from Altrincham, Manchester and Cheshire