A small pocket over your jawbone will then be created, which is where the implant will be slipped in. If you are having other facial plastic surgery at the same time, other incisions used for those procedures may be made use of instead to minimise cutting.

General anaesthesia is recommended while occasionally a local anaesthetic combined with a sedative is used. An overnight stay is required although the surgery usually takes less than two hours.

The Procedure

Cheek implant surgery usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes. Usually an incision will be made either inside your upper lip or your lower eyelid. A pocket is then formed and an implant is inserted. Sometimes cheek implant surgery is done at the same time as another procedure such as a facelift, forehead lift or eyelid surgery in which case the implants may be inserted through incisions made for those procedures.

Before the operation, you and your surgeon should discuss at length what look you hope to achieve, then pick out the right size implant. Then he or she will make a tiny incision, either inside the upper part of your lip or lower eyelid.