Cheek Volume Treatment Melbourne
Midface Support & Cheekbone DefinitionCheek volume treatment is designed to rebuild support in a midface that has flattened, whether the cause is thinning fat pads, fat that has slid below the cheekbone, bone loss or looser skin over the cheek. Depending on the cause, treatment may use volumising treatments, PDO thread lifts, biostimulators, PRF or Fotona laser, and many plans combine two or more.
Every plan starts with your AHPRA-registered nurse assessing your cheeks front-on, at a three-quarter angle and in profile, where the curve from cheekbone to cheek is easiest to read. Consultations can be scheduled at our Camberwell, Moonee Ponds and Brighton clinics.
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How the Cheek Loses Volume
The cheek’s shape comes from three layers: the cheekbone and upper jaw underneath, deep fat pads that push the cheek forward, and a shallower fat pad that sits over them, held in place by small ligaments. In younger faces these layers form a soft S-curve from the lower eyelid, out over the cheek’s high point and in again below it. With age, the deep fat thins, the shallower pad slides lower, the bone around the eye socket and upper jaw recedes, and the skin over the cheek loosens, so the curve gradually flattens.
You may be experiencing one or more of:
FLATTER FRONT OF CHEEK
the high point of the cheek sits lower and less forward
HOLLOW CHEEKBONE AREA
a shadow settles into the hollow beneath the cheekbone
LONGER LID-CHEEK LINE
the lower eyelid appears to run further into the cheek
HEAVIER LOWER FACE
fat that slides down adds weight to the fold by the mouth
One sign can have more than one cause, and the cause decides the treatment. A flat cheek from thinning fat calls for volume, while one where the fat has slid lower may respond better to repositioning.
Cheek Volume Treatment by Cause
Treatment usually starts at the deepest layer that has changed. Support placed over the bone shifts how the fat and skin above it sit, so a plan built from the bone up often needs less at the surface.
Each cause is assessed on its own, then planned together, since most cheeks show two or more.
The deep medial cheek fat sits against the upper jaw beside the nose, under the shallower fat pad, and a second deep pad runs along the cheekbone below the eye muscle. Together they push the front of the cheek forward. These deep pads tend to lose volume before the layers above them, and significant weight loss empties them quickly. Once they thin, the cheek’s high point drops back and a hollow forms at the front of the cheek, even when the skin above is still firm.
Volumising treatments are placed deep, against the bone at the front of the cheek, where they aim to replace what the deep pads have lost and bring the high point forward again. For milder deflation, PRF or a biostimulator may build support gradually over a course of sessions, with a subtler result. Hollowing that sits under the eye itself is planned through tear trough treatment.
How far the cheek’s high point sits forward in profile The depth of the hollow at the front of the cheek beside the nose How the curve from lower eyelid to cheek reads at three-quarter view Whether both cheeks have deflated evenly Skin thickness, which affects how gradual options may perform - “Will my cheeks look puffy?” Volume is placed deep against the bone, so it lifts the high point without adding fullness at the surface.
- “Can I avoid volumising treatments?” PRF and a biostimulator build support gradually and suit mild deflation, with a subtler change.
- “Will it make my face wider?” Support goes toward the front of the cheek, adding forward projection while your width front-on stays close to how it is now.
- “I’ve lost weight and my face looks gaunt.” Weight loss often empties the deep pads first, and it’s assessed the same way as age-related deflation.
- A cheek high point that sits further forward
- Less hollowing at the front of the cheek beside the nose
- A smoother curve from lower eyelid to cheek at three-quarter view
- Cheeks that may look fuller in photos taken from an angle
- Planning waits until your weight is stable if you’re still losing
- Each side is measured separately, since deflation is rarely even
- Previous cheek or under-eye treatment is reviewed first
- Placement stays below the eye socket rim to keep the under-eye clear
- Cheeks that have flattened at the front
- A gaunt midface after weight loss
- Mild to moderate deflation with skin that still has spring
The malar fat pad is the shallower pad over the cheekbone, held up by small retaining ligaments that tether it to the bone. As those ligaments stretch, the pad slides down and inward, so the upper cheek flattens while fullness gathers lower, above the nasolabial fold. Much of the volume hasn’t gone. It sits lower than it used to.
A thread lift with PDO cog threads uses small barbs along each thread to grip the soft tissue and lift the malar fat pad back toward the cheekbone. Mono threads may be added for their modest collagen effect around each thread. Where volume has also thinned, volumising treatment can be placed over the cheekbone to support the lifted tissue.
Where your fat pad sits upright compared with lying back How much the upper cheek lifts when gently pressed upward How deep the fold runs from the side of the nose to the mouth Skin thickness, which affects how well threads sit and stay hidden Whether each side needs the same amount of lift - “Can threads replace lost volume?” Threads reposition tissue that’s already there. Where volume has also thinned, volumising treatment may be added.
- “Will my face look pulled?” The lift aims to return the fat pad toward where it sat before, and it’s checked against your expressions as it’s placed.
- “Will I feel the threads?” Tightness and tenderness are common while the threads settle, and PDO threads dissolve over the following months.
- “Can threads cause dimpling?” Small puckers at entry points can occur and usually settle as the tissue relaxes.
- Fullness that may sit higher over the cheekbone
- A softer fold from the side of the nose to the mouth
- A shorter-looking line from lower eyelid to cheek
- A lower cheek that may look less heavy at the sides
- Very thin skin may show threads, so placement depth is planned
- Heavy or very lax tissue may need more support than threads hold
- Wide mouth opening and dental work are timed around thread placement
- Deflation alongside descent is planned in the same visit
- An upper cheek that looks flat above a fuller lower cheek
- A fold from nose to mouth that has deepened over time
- Mild to moderate descent with skin that isn’t too thin
The cheekbone and upper jaw form the frame the cheek’s fat and skin rest on. With age, the rim below the eye socket recedes and the upper jaw sets back slightly, so the fat above loses its footing and the cheek’s high point flattens. Some people have a flatter midface from the start, with cheekbones that never projected strongly. In both cases, the shape that’s missing comes from the bone.
Volumising treatment is placed directly on the bone along the cheekbone, where it is designed to add projection and give the soft tissue above firmer support. Threads, PRF and a biostimulator work in the soft tissue above the bone, so on their own they don’t add projection here. Cheekbone definition is one part of facial contouring, which balances the cheeks against the temples, jaw and chin.
How far your cheekbones project front-on and at three-quarter view Where the high point of each cheek sits along the cheekbone Width across the cheekbones compared with your temples and jaw Whether a flat midface is lifelong or has changed with age How evenly the cheekbones sit on each side - “Will my cheekbones look too sharp?” Projection is built in small amounts and checked at three-quarter view, where over-definition shows first.
- “I’ve always had flat cheekbones. Can that change?” A naturally flat midface is structural, and volume placed on the bone may add the projection it lacks.
- “Will it make my face wider?” Placement is mapped along the cheekbone so width front-on stays in proportion with your temples and jaw.
- “Can threads or PRF help here?” Both work in the soft tissue above the bone, so they can support the result but can’t add bony projection.
- A cheekbone that may look more defined at three-quarter view
- A high point that sits where light catches the cheek
- Firmer support under the fat and skin above
- Cheekbones that may sit in better balance with your temples and jaw
- Depth and placement on the bone are mapped before anything is placed
- Hollow temples are assessed too, as they change how wide cheekbones look
- Previous cheek treatment, implants or facial surgery are reviewed first
- A very flat midface may be built up across more than one visit
- Cheekbones that have always looked flat
- A cheekbone line that has softened with age
- A midface that lacks a defined high point
The skin over the cheek carries the shape of everything beneath it. As collagen and elastin decline, the dermis thins and loses its spring, so the skin drapes over the cheek instead of holding its curve. Thin, lax skin makes mild volume loss look deeper, folds into fine crepey lines across the cheek when you smile, and can sag under volume added beneath it.
Fotona 5D warms the cheek from inside the mouth and works on the outer skin in separate steps, aiming to firm the tissue at more than one depth. PDO mono threads are laid in a fine mesh under the skin, each encouraging a modest amount of collagen around it. PRF and a biostimulator may support gradual collagen growth over a course of sessions. Firming the skin often comes before or alongside volume, so what’s placed underneath sits more evenly.
How quickly the skin over your cheek recovers when gently pinched Fine crepey lines that form across the cheek when you smile Skin thickness over the cheekbone and at the front of the cheek How the skin drapes over deeper volume at three-quarter view Sun damage and texture changes across the midface - “Will volume fix loose skin?” Volume alone can stretch lax skin further, so firming the skin is usually planned first or alongside it.
- “Why does my cheek look crepey when I smile?” Thin skin folds into fine lines over moving tissue, and the cheek moves most when you smile.
- “What does treatment inside the mouth feel like?” The step inside the cheek gives a warming sensation, and your nurse checks comfort throughout.
- “How many sessions will I need?” Collagen-based options usually run as a course, and your nurse sets the number at your consultation.
- Skin over the cheek that may feel firmer to the touch
- Fewer fine, crepey lines across the cheek in a smile
- A smoother surface over the cheekbone in angled light
- Deeper volume that may sit more evenly under firmer skin
- Deep RF microneedling settings can reduce fat, so they’re used with care on a deflated midface
- A history of cold sores is noted before any step inside the mouth
- A recent tan or sun exposure is reviewed before laser steps
- Skin and volume steps are spaced so each can settle
- Thin or crepey skin over the cheek
- Skin over the midface that has lost its spring
- Volume loss with skin too lax for volume alone
Every Layer Mapped in One Consultation
Your first visit checks the bone, deep fat, fat pad position and skin over each cheek, both upright and lying back. Photos are taken at three-quarter view so they can be compared at your review. Where a plan combines two or more options, each step is spaced so it can settle before the next. There’s no obligation to go ahead.
How Your Cheek Plan Is Built
A flat cheek can be treated five different ways, so the consultation decides which ones suit you. Your nurse determines which layers have changed, by how much and on which side, then matches each layer to an option and sets the order they’re done in.
What we cover in your consultation
MEDICAL AND TREATMENT HISTORY
medications, conditions and past cheek treatment
WEIGHT AND FACE CHANGES
recent weight loss and older photos of your face
LAYER-BY-LAYER MAPPING
bone, deep fat, fat pad and skin on each side
SKIN QUALITY CHECKS
snap-back, thickness and sun damage over the cheek
OPTION MATCHING
which option suits each layer that has changed
A STAGED PLAN AND QUOTE
order of steps, spacing and number of sessions
A plan using one option is often a single appointment. Combined plans run across several visits, spaced a few weeks apart.
Before Your Appointment
WHAT TO BRING & KNOWPreparation depends on which options are in your plan. PRF starts with a small blood draw, and volume and threads can bruise over the cheekbone.
Eat and drink water beforehand if PRF is part of your plan
Skip alcohol for 24 hours beforehand to limit bruising
Keep dental work at least two weeks clear of threads or volume
Allow around 30 minutes for the consultation
During Treatment
WHAT TO EXPECTEach option has it’s own protocol. Volume and threads start with numbing and reference points marked over the cheekbone. PRF starts with a blood draw that’s spun to separate the fibrin. With Fotona, the step inside the mouth comes before the outer skin.
Numbing applied before volume or threads
Reference points marked while you sit upright
Both cheeks checked at three-quarter view as work builds
The option to pause at any point
Aftercare & Follow-Up
WHAT HAPPENS NEXTSwelling and tenderness usually settle over a few days, and threads can feel tight for a week or two. Changes from PRF, a biostimulator and Fotona tend to build gradually across a course. Your follow-up review compares your cheeks against the three-quarter photos from your first visit, and our team is reachable 24/7 if anything feels unexpected.
Sleep on your back for the first few nights after threads or volume
Avoid wide yawning, chewing gum and dental work for two weeks after threads
Skip facials, massage and pressure on the cheeks for two weeks
Hold off strenuous exercise, saunas and alcohol for 24 hours
Treatment Is a Process, Not a Single Decision
Cheek volume loss builds over decades, and each layer changes at its own pace. The deep fat pads at the front of the cheek often thin first, then the shallower pad slides lower and the skin over it loosens. Many people first notice it as a flatter cheek in photos taken at an angle.
Bone changes run underneath all of it. A review of facial ageing found the upper jaw loses more bone than any other part of the midface, and the outer rim below the eye socket recedes by middle age. As that frame sets back, the fat and skin above it lose support, and the fold beside the nose tends to deepen.
Because each layer moves at a different rate, a plan that suits your cheeks now may need to change in a few years. Your reviews track which layer is changing, so any maintenance is aimed at that layer.
CLIENT REVIEWS
What our clients say
Explore More Treatment Options
The cheek shares its fat pads and bone with the areas around it. As the cheek flattens, the under-eye can hollow, the fold beside the nose can deepen and the temples can narrow above the cheekbone.
Wrinkle Treatments
expression lines at the outer eye and upper cheek
PicoSure
picosecond laser for pigment across the cheekbones
Lumecca IPL
IPL for redness and sun spots across the cheeks
Rejuran
polynucleotide skin booster for thin, crepey skin
PRF
fibrin matrix from your own blood for gradual support
3 accessible clinic locations across Melbourne
All locations
Camberwell
1172 Toorak Rd, Camberwell VIC 3124, Australia
+61 477 441 340 Book an in-clinic consultationMoonee Ponds
32 Holmes Rd, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039, Australia
+61 477 441 340 Book an in-clinic consultationHave Questions? Your Consultation Is a Good Place to Start.
Frequently Asked Questions
SAFETY & SUITABILITY
Can I have cheek treatment if I get sinus problems? 
Are there nerves and blood vessels to avoid in the cheek?
Is it safe to combine threads, volume and laser in one plan?
RESULTS & TIMELINE
How long does each cheek option last?
Why do my cheeks look uneven in the first week?
Will cheek treatment change how my under-eyes look?
AFTERCARE & LOGISTICS
Can I wear glasses after cheek treatment?
Do threads leave marks on the skin?
Why does the cost vary between cheek plans?
WHERE TO START
How can I tell if my cheeks have deflated or dropped?
Should I treat my cheeks or my under-eyes first?
MYTHS, WORRIES & 'WHAT IF'
Can facial exercises rebuild cheek volume?
Is cheek volume loss only an age thing?
Will my cheeks sag when treatment wears off?
COMPARISON
Cheek volume treatment vs a facelift: what’s the difference?
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