Facial Reshaping Using Minimally Invasive Methods

There has been no ideal option for patients who are unhappy with their facial shape but do not want to undergo complex surgeries or pay the high price of temporary injectable treatments. In this article, we describe the treatment of facial complaints such as the gaunt face, long face, bottom-heavy face, chubby face, midface retrusion, and asymmetric face, as well as the modification of racial and ethnic characteristics, through the use of minimally invasive methods. Fat grafting was used to accentuate the cheekbones in most patients complaining about their facial shape. For the long face, this technique increased the horizontal facial diameter. Lipoplasty combined with buccal lipectomy effectively decreased the fullness of the lower face and improved facial contour in the bottom-heavy face and chubby face. A skin-tightening face lift may also be necessary in patients with neck laxity. Fat grafting was used to fill in depressions or defects in the gaunt face and to treat midface retrusion and facial asymmetry. Added facial projection was obtained with nasal and chin implants. Photographs of representative patients treated for facial reshaping using the described techniques are presented. By using the minimally invasive techniques described, plastic surgeons can reshape a patient’s face without the prolonged downtime or morbidities associated with more invasive procedures. (Aesthetic Surg J 2005;25:.)