The latest issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal includes a scientific study about how gender affects facial wrinkling.  Research was conducted by plastic surgeons in the Netherlands.

But let’s just get to the point shall we?  Here are the documented reasons women wrinkle earlier and more severely than men:

  1. If you’re a woman, the skin surrounding your mouth has fewer sweat and sebaceous glands, which are important for hydration and skin fullness.
  2. You also may have fewer blood vessels in the same area.
  3. The muscular fibers surrounding the orifice of a woman’s mouth are also more closely attached, which causes an “inward traction” and therefore, deeper wrinkles.

Read more on the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery website.

Although facial implants offer an excellent long term solution to cheek hollowness, many patients desire a less invasive procedure.  For those patients we recommend a dermal filler.

The goal is to increase volume, and the best way to achieve that is with the patient’s own fat.  Autologous fat transfer involves the harvesting of fat through liposuction of the stomach or buttocks.  The fat is purified and then injected into the subcutaneous area of the cheek. The procedure may be performed in the office or under sedation in the OR.

If liposuction and fat transfer isn’t a desirable option for you, other good choices are wrinkle fillers like Radiesse or Juvederm.  With any of these options, it’s crucial to have a qualified practitioner do the injections.  These treatments seem simple, but a successful cosmetic result often depends on the skilled injection technique of a knowledgeable surgeon.