Beauty is in some respects in the “eye of the beholder,” but there are mathematical and geometric models for describing a beautiful human face. While symmetry is important, finding a perfectly symmetric human face is as rare as finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. There are plenty of very attractive celebrity faces that lack symmetry. But what they do have is balance.

In a well-balanced face, a single feature does not take over the face. Everything fits perfectly and the attention gets directed to the beauty of the eyes. This is the single most important goal of a cosmetic rhinoplasty. A nose that fits the face well does not distract attention away from the eyes.

But there is more to the face than just the nose and eyes. One sign of youth and vigor is a full cheek bone area. As we get older, we lose bone, muscle, and fat volume and then gravity delivers its knock-out punch by sagging the rest of the deflated facial tissues. Replacing volume rather than simply excising sagging skin is often an important part of aging face rejuvenation.

The requirement for additional facial volume is not simply a prescription for the older face. Many young men and women lack the fullness and definition in their cheek/mid-face area. In the past these younger patients as well as their older counterparts have relied on pre-made cheek implants. Fat injections were popular a few years ago, but fat may not be a permanent source of volume for some people and often times patients requiring volume in their face lack a good source of fat on their body.

Safer fillers, such as Perlane, Restylane, and Juvederm as well as Radiesse, have become the new way of augmenting the cheeks. They have multiple advantages. Injections are tolerable in the office with no anesthesia. The injections take less than five minutes. The fillers can be used in different zones of the cheeks depending on each patient’s particular anatomy and needs. The results can be modified over time. Cost ranges from about $700-$2,000 and the procedure is often repeated once a year. In younger patients the results are nicer, fuller cheek bones or higher more sculpted cheek bones. In middle aged to older patients the results are instant youth.