What to do about sagging cheeks

There are three main causes of sagging cheeks, firstly, the sagging of the skin itself, secondly, the sagging of the hanging structures of the skin, and finally, the decrease in the volume of the soft tissues of the face. Therefore, if you want to solve the sagging cheeks, you must start from the above three aspects. Firstly, we introduce the classic surgical method i.e. wrinkle reduction, commonly known as facelift. The development of wrinkle reduction has been diversified with the introduction of the concept of facial SMAS and the introduction of endoscopy. However, the aim is to suspend and fix the skin, fascia, and even the whole facial tissue through incisions. This type of surgery leaves a hidden incision scar and also lasts longer than other methods, with a maintenance time of about 5 years. In addition, other common methods include injectable fillers, protein threads to lift the face, and laser. Injectable fillers are designed to improve sagging cheeks by replenishing facial volume, usually using hyaluronic acid, autologous fat, and Botox, but have limited effect on significantly large areas of sagging tissue. Protein thread face lift is to bury absorbable protein threads into the subcutaneous tissue and rely on sutures to lift sagging tissue, only with a shorter maintenance time. Also, because the protein threads are absorbed, repeat procedures are required to maintain the lift. The action of the laser is limited to the skin tissues and is only suitable for patients without significant laxity. It works on the skin tissue to stimulate collagen production, which results in skin tightening.