If I'm striving for a heart shaped face then would narrowing my zygomatic arch be a bad idea? Can I get my cheekbones (zygomatic arch) narrowed if I have orbital rim implants?
Doctor Answers (2)
The "Nonsurgical 3D Vectoring Face Lift" Can Restore The More Heart-Shaped Face Of Youth
Of course without a photo or even better an in-the-flesh examination, it is difficult to provide anything but the most general recommendations, it has been my experience that The Nonsurgical 3D Vectoring Facelift can do much to restoring the heart-shaped appearance of youth, most often alone, but sometimes in conjunction with a nonsurgical cheek augmentation or The Nonsurgical 3D Vectoring Crow's Feet Lift. (Additional information about both of the latter techniques can be found in the archives of RealSelf.com)
Over only the last ten to fifteen our understanding of how our skin ages has undergone a revolution. Whereas once the visible signs of facial and neck aging were attributed exclusively to skin laxity or looseness, today, we know that the sagging, drooping, wrinkling, textural alterations, etc that characterize the passage of time are a result of a number of anatomical and physiological events. These include loss in the quality and quantity of collagen and elastic fibers, largely due to years of accumulated sun exposure and other environmental damage; an increase in facial expression muscle activity (hyperkinesis); loss of facial volume (due to decreases in fat, bone, cartilage and muscle, including loss of the bone in the zygomatic area); weakening of the retaining ligaments that suspend and hold the skin and underlying tissues in place; and the fragmentation and downward displacement--due to the effects of gravity--of the fat compartments that are responsible for giving fullness, smoothness, and youthful contour to the face and neck. The result of this gravitational pull on compromised, devolumized facial tissue is that the face loses its youthful triangular shape and takes on a more boxy look.
Today, we can address many aging skin changes nonsurgically in a matter of minutes with little or no downtime with, among other nonsurgical approaches, The Nonsurgical 3D Vectoring Face Lift.
A vector describes a magnitude and direction of force. Aging skin is characterized by a negative downward and inward vector of sagging. To counter this, surgeons traditionally pulled skin upward and outward--i.e. using a positive vector. The key difference between the outcomes of traditional surgical correction and nonsurgical 3D vectoring, both of which lift upwards and outwards, is the Nonsurgical 3D Vectoring Face Lift's additional corrective dimension of ‘forward projection’. This 3D effect is the result of volumizing with the use of injectable agents designed for this purpose, such as Radiesse, Voluma, Restylane SQ, and Stylage XXL.
The Nonsurgical 3D Vectoring Lift is predicated upon the fact that the face and portions of the neck differ in their degree of mobility. The region directly in front and behind the ears is a fixed, denser, relatively immobile area, in contrast to the mid-cheek region (hence the greater tendency of this region to sag with the passage of time). These anatomical differences are exploited in the Nonsurgical 3D Vectoring Lift by making the fixed areas serve as anchoring points for the mobile tissues. In determining the positive vectors for the mid to lower face, the tissues that require lifting are identified by pulling the skin directly in front of the ears in a direction perpendicular to the area that requires correction. If the pulling results in lifting of the desired tissue, then the vector has been correctly identified and is then marked in accordance with 3D vectoring protocol. (A similar approach is used in the region of the angle of the jawbone when dealing with neck laxity)
Once the proper vectors are marked, the volumizing agents are injected in a series of radiating bands that serve as support struts to the skin and that impart the necessary 3D outward projection--the lift--that distinguishes and defines this nonsurgical approach. The high viscosity and elasticity of the volumizing fillers serves to hold and re-support the overlying tissue and restore more youthful contours.
Although volumizing fillers are reabsorbed over time, they do promote new, native collagen synthesis, which may continue to provide structure, firmness and improved skin quality while continuing to lift tissues. A typical Nonsurgical 3D Vectoring Lift of the face takes about fifteen minutes to perform. Bruising and swelling tend to be minimal, and most people can return to work or social activities immediately following treatment.
Cheekbone Reduction and Orbital Rim Implants
It would be helpful to see some pictures of your face to better answer your question about the value (or lack thereof) of cheekbone narrowing surgery. Cheekbone reduction and orbital rim implants can be done during the same surgery, they are not mutually exclusive.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.