The Midface Sag: Cheek Fillers for Facial Rejuvenation

Why is my face changing with age?

In our 20s we have loads of that lovely collagen and elastin, which keeps our skin looking dreamy and impossibly full. But, by the time we reach our mid-30s this collagen has really begun to dwindle (traitor!) and our faces start to lose their structure. This means that what used to be up is now starting to look increasingly down.

What is the midface area, and how is it affected?

The midface is, quite literally, the middle of the face. Think just below the eyes, the cheeks, nose and just above the mouth.

When I was younger, I, ironically, hated my full cheeks. Pah! If only I'd known what was around the corner, I’d have treasured them. Now, they’ve started to lose volume, and not only are my cheeks moving further down my face but they’re also taking with them the skin below my eyes, giving me more pronounced tear troughs, and dragging down the area between my nose and mouth, creating prominent nasolabial folds (nose to mouth lines). Great! Sound familiar? Ok, so what can we do about it?

Cheek fillers for midface rejuvenation

Placing hyaluronic acid (HA) filler into the midface area creates a lifted, more volumised look. Not only does HA have magic moisturising qualities - meaning your skin will look healthier - but it also plumps up the skin, smoothing out static lines like those pesky nasolabial folds, and gives a rejuvenated appearance.

The great thing is that you’ll see a noticeable difference straight away after getting fillers, but things will likely continue to improve even more over the course of the next few weeks when the hyaluronic acid has really had chance to work its magic! Not only this but dermal fillers can last up to around 18 months, making them a great option for anyone who wants a natural but noticeable difference without the surgery.

So, you can see why they’re such a popular treatment with people in their mid-30s and above. And, dermal fillers are not just loved by patients but are a favourite for many aesthetic practitioners too! Nurse practitioner Claire Lavery of Claire Lavery Aesthetics says, “Midface volumisation is my favourite tweakment, as it can really transform your face. By adding filler to the cheeks and midface you can really make someone look so much fresher.”

Linda Willis of LMW Aesthetics also loves cheek filler. She says, “I have seen great results on many occasions with mid-face volume fillers...Putting the volume back and lifting the skin can knock years off a client. They don’t look like a different person, just a fresher version of themselves, which can make them feel confident.”

According to Dr Rebecca Hill of The Skin Spa, “The midface is one of the first areas to show signs of ageing, but you can often see really nice, subtle effects with fillers. They give a fresh, natural look and are a great way to give the entire face a rejuvenated look. Often, when people think they need tear trough filler, it's midface volume loss that's the issue. From our mid 30s, we start to lose volume from the face and, unfortunately, it's not just our fat pads that start to diminish, our bones also start to recede, so you may find that it's a case of building up the structure of your face.”

Frightened of the ‘pillow face’ effect?

Now I’m not mentioning any names but we’ve all seen the celebs who've overdone the cheek filler and have come away with the aptly termed ‘pillow face’ look. No thanks! So, how do you make sure you leave your filler appointment looking natural, not overdone?

It's not about looking drastically different. It's just about restoring lost volume to help you look the best version of you. The key is to find a medically qualified practitioner who has loads of experience in this technique and who has a great eye. Aesthetics is as much about medical knowledge and training as it is about art. The good thing is that Glowday now lists tons of highly skilled medically qualified practitioners. You can search by treatment, clinic or practitioner name. Get glowing!