Cheek augmentation with Dr. Henry Sandel
Cheek Implants
Whether your cheeks have lost volume with age or you have always had thin, flat cheeks, cheek augmentation can enhance your facial contours. A subtle change can shift the focus of your features, drawing attention to your eyes.
At a glance
Surgeon
Dr. Henry Sandel
Procedure time
Often under an hour
Anesthesia
Local or general
Basis
Outpatient
Sutures
Dissolve within 10 days
Normal activity
A few days
Residual swelling
Up to 6 weeks
What cheek implants are
Cheek implants are solid devices, typically made of medical silicone, placed in the upper cheek to accentuate the cheekbones. In some cases other materials that bind directly with the cheekbones are used.
Silicone cheek implants are permanent and, through long use, have established a track record of safety — but they can be removed if you ever change your mind. Implants can also restore a more natural facial appearance after injury or illness, and bring an asymmetrical face into balance.
Cheek implants can
Give definition to flat cheeks
Bring the proportions of your face into better balance
Round out cheeks that look hollow
Accentuate the upper cheeks for a more sculpted facial profile
Shift the visual balance of your face, drawing more attention to your eyes and less to your chin
The procedure
Implants are placed under either local anesthetic or general anesthesia. It is an outpatient procedure that often takes less than one hour. Incisions are placed inside your upper lip and cheek, or sometimes inside the eyelid, so no visible scar remains. The implants are then inserted and secured onto the cheekbones.
Dr. Sandel selects the implant shape to create the contours you want, and may also shape the tissue around the implant. In some cases a moldable bone-filler paste is used. The incisions are closed with absorbable sutures.
Cheek implants before and after — an actual patient.
Alternatives & related
Two routes to fuller cheeks
Implants or filler.
Cheek implants
Solid medical silicone implants secured onto the cheekbones through hidden incisions. Permanent, and reversible if you change your mind.
Recovery: temporary swelling and bruising, less noticeable after a week. Soft foods and a mouth rinse for the first few days, since sutures sit inside the mouth.
Dermal fillers
An in-office procedure requiring no incisions, adding volume where it is needed.
Recovery: minor bruising and swelling for one or two days.
Cost
What cheek implants cost
One figure, quoted in writing before you decide.
That figure covers
You will receive a written, itemized quote at your consultation. Financing is available.
If you are considering more than one procedure, adding the prices together will overestimate the total. Two operations at one sitting take less time than the same two on separate days, and the saving is largest when a smaller procedure is added to a larger one, because most of the operating time is already accounted for.
We own West Annapolis Surgery Center and operate with the same team every day, so there is no hospital or outside facility charge passed along to you.
Fees current as of September 2026.
Questions patients ask.
Request a consultation.
Dr. Sandel has extensive experience in aesthetic facial procedures and will walk you through which route — implant or filler — suits your face and your timeline.
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