The apple muscles are located below the cheekbones. They appear full and elastic when smiling and are often seen as a symbol of youth and affinity. With age or due to congenital factors, some people's apple muscles become sunken or flat, affecting the three-dimensional sense and overall beauty of the face. As a common facial rejuvenation technology, apple muscle augmentation surgery has gradually attracted the attention of those seeking beauty. This article will focus on the precautions before and after apple muscle augmentation surgery, aiming to provide a reference for clinicians and related practitioners.
Overview of surgical procedures
Common methods for augmenting apple muscles include autologous fat transplantation, hyaluronic acid injection, and dermal filling . Autologous fat transplantation has the advantages of good biocompatibility and no rejection reaction, but the survival rate varies and multiple injections are required to maintain the effect. Hyaluronic acid injection is easy to operate and recovers quickly, but the maintenance time is short. Dermal filling is suitable for those who are intolerant to fat or have special needs.
Precautions before surgery
1. Assess facial structure and health
Before the operation, the doctor needs to comprehensively evaluate the patient's basic facial structure, including zygomatic bone height, soft tissue thickness and facial proportions, and determine the appropriate filling site and amount based on the patient's expected effect. People with surgical contraindications such as bleeding diseases, immune system abnormalities, and a history of severe allergies need to be excluded.
2. Get a comprehensive medical checkup
Basic examinations such as blood routine, coagulation function, liver and kidney function should be performed before surgery to ensure the safety of the operation. In addition, patients should be informed to stop taking drugs that may affect coagulation function, such as aspirin and vitamin E, within 7 days before surgery to reduce the risk of intraoperative bleeding.
3. Communicate expectations and prepare yourself
Doctor-patient communication is key. Doctors should make clear the achievable expectations and limitations of the surgery to avoid patients having too high expectations. It is recommended that preoperative photos be taken for comparison and that informed consent forms be signed to enhance patients' psychological preparation before surgery.
4. Keep skin clean and avoid irritation
Avoid using irritating skin care products and cosmetics 24 hours before surgery. The face needs to be thoroughly cleaned and kept sterile on the day of surgery. If there are problems such as facial infection or acne, surgery should be performed only after the condition is under control.
Postoperative precautions
1. Strengthen local care and swelling control
Mild redness, swelling and bruising are common after surgery and are normal reactions. Local cold compresses can be applied for 15-20 minutes each time during the first 3 days to help relieve swelling and discomfort. After 3 days, hot compresses can be applied based on the doctor's advice to speed up metabolism and recovery.
2. Avoid massage and intense facial expressions
Avoid frequent facial expressions and rubbing within 1 week after the operation to prevent the filler from shifting or reducing the survival rate of fat. Especially for those who have undergone autologous fat transplantation, avoid pressurized actions such as sleeping on the side or lying prone to maintain the filling effect.
3. Diet and lifestyle adjustments
After the operation, the diet should be light, and spicy food, seafood and other irritating foods should be avoided. Smoking and drinking should be stopped for at least 1 month to prevent vasoconstriction from affecting fat survival and wound healing. Ensuring adequate sleep and a good mood will also help recovery.
4. Pay attention to infection prevention and wound care
If filling is done by injection or incision, the wound should be cleaned daily as prescribed by the doctor and antibiotic ointment should be used to prevent infection. If persistent redness, swelling, pain, exudation, etc. occur, medical treatment should be sought promptly.
5. Regular follow-up visits to assess recovery
Regular follow-up visits should be made 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery. The doctor can decide whether additional injections or trimming of the area are needed based on the recovery situation. For autologous fat transplantation, the fat survival stabilization period is about 3-6 months, and the symmetry and three-dimensional sense should be closely observed during this period.
Recommendations for prevention and management of complications
Although apple cheek augmentation surgery is generally safe, there are still risks of complications that need to be taken seriously. Common complications include fat liquefaction, nodules, filler displacement, infection, and hematoma . During the operation, the operation should be sterile, and the injection depth and layer should be precise to avoid vascular puncture and nerve damage. If there are abnormal symptoms after the operation, you should avoid self-treatment and should leave it to professional intervention.
Special reminder: For those who receive hyaluronic acid injections, hyaluronidase should be selected as an emergency antidote to deal with vascular embolism or excessive filling. Doctors should have emergency treatment experience and equipment to ensure injection safety.
Suggestions for maintaining surgical results
1. Regularly evaluate the filling effect and arrange supplementary treatment reasonably
The duration of hyaluronic acid filling is about 6-12 months, and whether to do additional injections depends on the individual's metabolic condition. For fat transplantation, it is recommended to evaluate whether a second filling is needed six months after surgery to ensure facial symmetry and naturalness.
2. Combine with other beauty methods to improve overall facial coordination
If the apple cheeks are flat and accompanied by obvious nasolabial folds and sagging face, thread lifting, phototherapy or botulinum toxin injection can be used in combination to enhance the overall rejuvenation effect and sense of coordination .
Beauty Encyclopedia Tips:
Apple cheek augmentation surgery is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure with relatively low risks, but it requires high operating techniques and postoperative care. Patients seeking beauty should choose regular medical institutions and professional doctors for treatment, avoid blindly pursuing short-term results or low-cost operations that may lead to adverse consequences, maintain good living habits and a healthy diet, which will help with postoperative recovery and long-term maintenance. They should be rational about their expectations for surgery and scientifically assess their own basic conditions and needs in order to obtain ideal aesthetic improvement results.