One of the earliest signs of aging occurs in the cheek or mid-face. The common descent, “drooping” or hollowing of our cheek and mid-face area that we see occurring as we age occurs because of a “droop” in our cheek fat pad. Over time, gravity, repeated muscle contraction and lifestyle choices cause skin, fat and muscle to move downwards particularly in the area between the lower eyelids and mouth known as the mid-face. Aging changes around the mouth and chin are accentuated with a descended mid-face. An improperly positioned or “sagging” mid-face results in an apparent puffiness of the eyelids, an indentation in the upper cheek region and a deepening in the line between the nose and corner of the mouth. This area is one of the most common areas of concern in patients seeking aesthetic rejuvenation.

Dr. Landy is one of few doctors that perform a minimally invasive procedure known as the trasconjunctival subperiosteal cheek mid-face lift, which is the procedure of choice for mid-face descent.  This procedure involves an incision on the inside of the lower eyelid with elevation of the tissues down to the nasolabial folds. These deep wrinkles (or nasolabial folds) which occur because of attachments between the skin and muscle are then relieved.  The entire cheek and mid-face is then elevated and reattached to the corner of the eye onto the bone. As a result, the cheek is lifted in a natural contour and the fat pad is placed back into its youthful position. Because the incision is made on the inside of the lower eyelid a visible scar is eliminated. This procedure is commonly combined with a lower and/or upper eyelid blepharoplasty.

The ultimate goal of the mid face lift is to restore the natural convexity and fullness of the lower eyelids and cheeks, reposition the cheek fat pad to its original position and provide fullness to the midface.