Health is wealth and keeping fit is your best chance at having a long life of mobility and independence. However, for those who fall into the more extreme-exercise category, a significant loss of facial volume creating the-sunken-cheek-syndrome can be an unwanted result of being fit.  We see this particularly in men and women bodybuilders and marathon runners, making them appear much older than their biological years.

What happens during extreme exercise

Runners, in particular, spend more time outdoors and tend to have more UV damage which breaks down collagen and elastin in their skin causing it to sag. Also, they usually lose a large amount of weight when they begin running. Heavy and sustained exercise training of any kind generates large quantities of free-radicals, more than the body can cope with.

In theory, your body runs out of antioxidants during extreme exercise. Free radicals overwhelm your cells and oxidative stress rises far beyond healthy levels. This can cause damage to other organs, not just your skin.

What happens to the face?

Men often deflate in the front of their cheeks, creating droopy jowls and loose skin around the nasolabial area. The temples are also affected by this kind of weight loss.

French actress Catherine Deneuve reportedly said, “After a certain age, you have to choose between your fanny and your face.” She knew that a little extra weight kept the wrinkles plumped up and out.

When consulting with a patient who is exercising to an extreme, we tend to see the fat pads under the eyes deflate first and then the area between the smile and the chin and then the cheeks lose volume. Even elastin and collagen fibres weaken with fat loss so skin begins to sag. These are not clients that are usually suitable for a surgical facelift as pulling the skin is not going to help. You don’t want to pull and cut your skin, you want to replace the structure that used to lay under it to hold it up and out.

Luckily, we now have safe, non-surgical dermal fillers treatments which mean we can plump up any area of the face giving you back your youthful features without you having to skip gym time.

This is how we do it

First, we assess how much volume is needed and with the patients’ budget also in consideration; we choose the best product to use for that person. Certain injectables are both popular for replacing large amounts of volume and each also works further by stimulating the patient’s own collagen, giving a gradual, natural appearance. Because your collagen has grown, the results tend to last longer than a hyaluronic acid filler. The full results will take months to appear with these products so if you are wanting a quick-fix, then any of the hyaluronic acid fillers will work; 

Dr. Frame usually starts with the cheeks as filling this area can also slightly improve the nasolabial folds by pulling up the skin behind it. He will then address the area just below the corners of the mouth, the temples and the under-eye grooves which are caused by the fat pad moving or depleting. Because we have many thicknesses and types of hyaluronic acid fillers available, Dr. Frame customizes each treatment with fillers that are best suited e.g.: thick fillers in the cheeks and temples, thinner fillers around the mouth and under the eyes.

Filling the tear trough groove really helps remove that tired look and for that area, we use the thinnest possible product, Belotero, so the gel disperses smoothly under the skin, avoiding any lumps and bumps. In one hour, a patient can easily come away looking healthier, younger and able to return to their regular exercise program without having to choose; your rear or your face.