Whenever I watch celebrities walk the red carpet, I can’t help but notice when cosmetic injectors have gone overboard with the filler or placed it in the wrong areas, creating a strange look. There’s a fine line between having plumped-up skin and looking puffy. Fortunately, there are techniques injectors can use to ensure they never cross that line.
We all know that I am a fangirl of Dr. Mauricio de Maio, a world-renowned plastic surgeon. He has pioneered innovative techniques that create beautiful, natural-looking results.
One of those techniques he coined "the 7-Point Shape" which creates a smooth curve along the cheekbones, lifting the cheeks and reducing sagginess. By adding volume at strategic points, we are able to restore the Ogee curve. If you look at a youthful face from an oblique view, you will see that full cheekbones gently curve into the smooth, less-full lower face. That shape is called the Ogee curve and we find it so beautiful that you’ll often see the shape in art and architecture. For instance, Andy Warhol often emphasized it in his celebrity portraits.
As we age, we lose our Ogee curve. What causes midfacial ageing? One, gravity pulls the malar fat pad ( the triangular pad that sits on cheekbones) down. Two, we experience skeletal changes that cause shifts in soft tissue and ligaments. Three, our collagen production starts to decline as early as age 25, which is when some people lose their babyfaces, but most of us don’t notice midfacial ageing until we’re well into our 40s.
Dr. Mauricio de Maio’s 7-Point Shape involves seven injection points on the face that work together to help recreate the Ogee curve. The injection points he calls CK1 + CK4 on the upper cheekbone and mid cheek lift the cheek help to recreate a smooth curve along the cheekbone and minimizes any sagginess. The injection point Jw1, located at the jaw, defines the mandible angle. C1 + C2, the injections in the chin, restore lost volume which supports the mouth and softens the chin and also reduces the appearance of marionette lines. Finally, Jw4 + Jw5, the injections in the lower jaw create definition by creating volume and contour.
The technique subtly shifts the flattened frontal droop or saggy appearance to a shapelier cheek and jawline—the markers of a youthful appearance. The treatment can usually be completed in one or two sessions. The cost can range from $1,800 to $4,000. Every client’s face is unique, and I would discuss the product selection and provide a quote based on your needs. The results usually last up to two years, with the “top-up” needing less than the first treatment.
As always, I am here to answer your questions and help you to decide what treatment options are right for you.
