Priorities
Volume loss and flat cheeks
Cheeks, temples, and midface that have lost volume and look flatter than they used to.
Volume loss changes the face gradually. The cheekbones catch less light, a shadow forms beneath them, and the temples can become slightly concave. The skin may not be sagging at all, but the face looks flatter than it used to.
This comes from fat pads shrinking and bone remodeling, a normal change that starts in the mid 30s. Filler replaces lost volume but doesn’t lift tissue, and understanding that difference helps you avoid using more product than you need.
What we'd want you to know
Filler replaces volume, but it doesn't lift skin
If volume is missing in one area, usually the cheek, a hyaluronic acid filler restores it in the same visit. Our nurse practitioners place it with a cannula, using one syringe per side at most on a first visit, and we’ll review the result at a two-week follow-up.
If the deflation is everywhere, temples and jawline included, Radiesse adds volume on the day and then works as a scaffold for your own collagen over months. Sculptra isn’t on the Lincoln Park booking menu, but we can discuss it at your consult.
Volume loss or sagging: choosing a treatment
We’ll hand you a mirror and have you look chin down, then chin up. If your cheek looks fine from above and flat from the front, the fat pad has shrunk, and one or two syringes of hyaluronic acid filler can restore it. Restylane Contour is FDA-approved for the cheeks and, since March 2026, the temples, and RHA 4 is approved for cheek volume, per the FDA’s approval records. Plan on it lasting 9 to 18 months, with a top-up when it fades. Every HA gel can also be dissolved if needed.
If your whole midface has thinned, we may recommend Radiesse, which is on the Lincoln Park menu. It’s calcium hydroxylapatite, FDA-approved for facial wrinkles and folds, the jawline and the backs of the hands. Merz reports results lasting up to 2 years, per Radiesse. It can’t be dissolved, so we never place it in the lips or under the eyes. Individual results vary.
Finally, we’ll assess whether tissue has dropped or only deflated. A jowl below the jawline is descent, which calls for Morpheus8, PDO threads by request at your consult, or a surgeon. Adding volume to a face that has dropped makes it look heavier, not younger.
Your questions, answered
How many syringes for cheeks?
One per side or less on a first visit, with a result check at two weeks. A face that has lost a lot of volume can need more across a few visits, and that’s when Radiesse may be worth considering.
What's recovery like after cheek filler?
Expect some swelling and possibly a bruise, with no dressing needed, and you can go about your day right after. Skip strenuous exercise and alcohol for 48 hours, and sleep on your back the first night.
Do you have Sculptra in Lincoln Park?
It’s not on the Lincoln Park online booking menu. Radiesse is, and it covers most of the same ground for diffuse volume loss, with an immediate result on top. If Sculptra is the better fit for you, we’ll explain how to arrange it.
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