Can Cheek Fillers Really Lift the Face? Expert Injector Dr. Marisa Garshick Weighs In.

It’s a common scenario: Your injector asks what’s bothering you. You say your nasolabial folds and burgeoning jowls make you look old. And then your injector promptly fills your cheeks with hyaluronic acid. 

For years, it’s been widely accepted that this midface volume boost can bring with it the added benefit of lifting. But more recently, the question of whether cheek filler can actually lift the lower face to smooth smile lines and reduce jowling has become a source of debate among injectors.  

“The idea that fillers can lift comes from the fact that cheek fillers, when done well, do indeed provide a beautiful rejuvenation effect,” explains Dr. Christian Subbio, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Philadelphia. “But many injectors and patients confusingly label this result lifting, when in reality all that has happened is filling or reinflation.”

Still, some experts say otherwise—that injecting filler along the cheekbone can actually lift up the lower half of the face, even if only subtly. “It is possible for cheek filler to provide lift for the lower half of the face,” says Dr. Marisa Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “Cheek filler can be used in the patient who is starting to notice a slight drop, even at an early age, as filler along the cheekbones can be helpful to keep things in place and prevent further drooping.”

https://www.realself.com/news/what-to-expect-from-cheek-fillers