Cheek Implant Cost and Procedure Guide

Many women and men dream of having a sculpted, chiseled face and jawline — and cheek implants might give you those high cheekbones you desire. Cheek implants offer a way to accentuate your best features while adding volume and proportion to your face.¹ Plus, cheek implants provide a natural look that never dissolves the way dermal fillers or fat transfers eventually do. Find out if you’re a good candidate for cheek implants, what it might cost and what is involved.

What Is Cheek Augmentation Surgery?

Cheek augmentation is a surgical cosmetic procedure that alters the shape or size of your cheeks to enhance your features. It can consist of inserting silicone cheek implants, tightening the skin over the cheekbones, injecting dermal fillers to add volume or a combination of all of these procedures. During your consultation for cheek implants, you may hear the cosmetic surgeon refer to cheek augmentation, malar implants or submalar implants. All of these terms refer to having solid silicone pads placed directly atop your cheekbones or just beneath them during a surgical procedure.

Types of Cheek Implants

There are two main types of cheek implants. Depending on your goals, the surgeon may suggest inserting both to achieve the look you want.

• Malar implants are placed directly on top of your natural cheekbones. This procedure gives you more projection of the cheekbones, like the high-cheekbone look you might see on models.²
• Submalar implants are placed into the hollow area below the cheekbones to provide additional facial volume.² Whether you were born with thin cheeks or lost fatty volume due to aging, submalar implants can restore a natural, youthful fullness to the face.

Almost all cheek implants are made of solid, medical-grade silicone pieces in various shapes and sizes. This variety enables the surgeon to choose the perfect fit to accomplish your facial enhancement goals.²

How Much Do Cheek Implants Cost?

The national average cost* for a cheek implant procedure with both malar and submalar implants in the United States is $8,795, but it can vary between $6,960 and $15,872 depending on factors such as location, other procedures that might be involved or post-surgery care.³

The average cost* of malar implants alone is $4,453, and the average cost* of submalar implants alone is $4,710.³

Average cost of cheek implants by state/district

Below is a table of average costs* for cheek implants for all 50 states and the District of Columbia:³

Does Insurance Cover Cheek Implants?

Cheek implants may be needed for facial reconstruction after cancer surgery or facial fractures sustained in an accident,² and this cost may be covered by health insurance. In many cases, however, people get cheek implant surgery for cosmetic purposes, and this is not covered by insurance.

How Does Cheek Implant Surgery Work?

All cosmetic procedures begin with a consultation, which gives you the chance to discuss your goals and questions with your surgeon. The surgeon will take pictures of your face, show you photographs of some before and after images of their patients who received cheek implants in the past and provide you with a financial quote for the procedure. Your surgeon also may suggest additional procedures that may help you achieve the look you desire.

Cheek implant surgery is often performed under general anesthesia in an operating room, though depending on the extent of the procedures being performed, it may be done under light sedation or even just a local anesthetic.¹

Preparation

In the weeks leading up to the surgery, you will need to take certain steps to prepare for your cosmetic procedure, which may include:¹

• Completing blood or lab work
• Getting a checkup from your primary care provider or a specialist provider
• Stopping smoking
• Discontinuing certain medications or starting to take other ones
• Avoiding or discontinuing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin
• Avoiding or discontinuing certain herbs or natural preparations that may increase the likelihood of bleeding

You may also need to arrange for someone to drive you to and from the surgery, and you may need to alter your normal sleep setting, such as by raising the head of your bed or planning to sleep in a recliner for the first few days after the surgery. Your surgeon will provide you with complete planning instructions.

Procedure

You will arrive at the clinic or operating room at the scheduled time and may be asked to change into a hospital gown. If you’re receiving sedation or general anesthesia, a nurse or anesthesiologist will visit you to review your medical history, note any medications you are taking or have discontinued and answer all your questions about the anesthesia. You will also receive an IV line.

Your surgeon will visit you before the surgery to confirm exactly which procedures they will be doing and get your consent.

Inside the operating room, here’s what happens during cheek implant surgery:

• After you’re asleep, your skin will be cleansed with a surgical prep solution.
• The surgeon will make small incisions, usually just below the lower lash line but sometimes inside the mouth (you will know in advance where the incisions will be located).¹
• The surgeon will insert the implants through the incision and carefully place them into position.
• The surgeon will then close the incisions using surgical glue, tape, sutures or another type of closure.

After the surgery, you will wake up in a recovery area attended by a nurse. You may have compression bandages, gauze or other types of dressings on your face, and your nurse will explain if and when to later remove these.¹

Keep in mind your face will be swollen, and you should not judge the results of the procedure until the swelling has fully subsided, which can be weeks to months later.¹ It is also normal for your skin to feel tight over the areas where the implants have been placed.²

Recovery

Naturally, you want to do whatever you can to ensure the best results from your cheek implant surgery, and that starts with carefully following all discharge instructions. Your discharge instructions typically will include information like:¹

• If and when to remove any dressings
• How to take care of the incision sites
• How to take or apply medications for healing or pain management
• The date and time of your first follow-up appointment
• Any lifting (weight) restrictions, activity restrictions and so on
• When you can drive again
• When it’s OK to return to work
• Any dietary restrictions or considerations (particularly with oral incisions)

You should always feel empowered to phone your surgeon’s office with questions during the healing process. Everyone on your surgeon’s team wants you to feel comfortable and informed about what to expect. In the event you experience a complication, calling early to report any unusual postoperative symptoms allows your doctor to act quickly to resolve the issue.

Potential Complications and Side Effects of Cheek Implants

Cheek implants typically are made from solid silicone, which has a lengthy track record of safety.² The most common complications after cheek implant surgery relate to aesthetics.¹ Some possible side effects from cheek implants include:¹

• Asymmetry
• Bleeding
• Capsular contracture (stiffening of the tissue surrounding the implant)
• Discoloration of the skin
• Displacement or shifting of the cheek implant
• Fat necrosis
• Incision infection
• Numbness
• Scarring
• Seroma (fluid accumulation in the implant pocket)

Some of these complications can develop weeks, months or years after the surgery. If you have any concerns about the implants as time passes, see your surgeon.

The Bottom Line

If you’d like sculpted cheeks or more facial fullness, cheek implants offer a way to get the look you’ve always wanted. Cheek implants can give you more confidence in your appearance and even make you look and feel more youthful.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cheek Implants

Do you still have questions about cheek implants? Here are answers to some commonly asked questions.

Financing Cheek Implants With the CareCredit Credit Card

Ready to revitalize your appearance and boost your confidence? The CareCredit credit card makes it easy to pay for cheek implants and related expenses not covered by health insurance.** Use our Acceptance Locator to find a doctor or cosmetic surgeon near you that accepts CareCredit so you can stop dreaming and start living your best life. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your CareCredit account, find a provider on the go and easily access the Well U blog for more great articles, podcasts and videos.

In addition to cosmetic procedures, you can also use your CareCredit credit card for dentistry, pet care, vision, hearing, health systems, dermatology, pharmacy purchases, spa treatments and so much more within the CareCredit network. How will you invest in your health and wellness next?

Author Bio

Elizabeth Hanes, R.N., has substantial clinical experience and diverse expertise including critical care, plastic and reconstructive surgery, heart health, nutrition and senior health. For over 20 years, she has blended her clinical background with writing for leading healthcare publications, such as WebMD, Anthem, Healthgrades and Modern Healthcare, among others. She is committed to creating exceptional healthcare content that informs and educates both patients and health professionals.