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Volume loss
Facial volume loss is the gradual thinning of fat, bone support and collagen that can leave cheeks flatter, temples hollow and the face looking tired or gaunt. It can often be improved. A doctor assesses why the volume has gone before suggesting anything, and the aim is balance, never overfilling.
Understanding Volume Loss
Facial volume loss is a normal part of ageing, but it can also follow weight loss or illness. You might notice hollow cheeks, a sunken look under the eyes, flat cheeks that no longer catch the light, or temple hollowing that makes the face look narrower.
Because volume loss has several possible causes, we start with a doctor, not a syringe. Our practice in Sutton Coldfield, a short drive from Birmingham, treats this as part of our regenerative medicine service, where the focus is on supporting your own tissue as well as replacing what has been lost.
What Causes Facial Volume Loss?
Usually several changes happen together, in each supporting layer of the face.
- Facial fat loss: the fat pads in the cheeks and temples shrink and slip downwards with age.
- Bone changes: the bones of the cheeks, eye sockets and jaw slowly remodel, giving less support.
- Collagen decline: skin makes less collagen and elastin over time, and sun exposure and smoking speed this up.
- Weight loss: significant weight loss, including with weight-loss medicines, can leave the face looking gaunt, a pattern people sometimes call weight loss face.
- Very low body fat from endurance sport, and some medical conditions and medicines, can also play a part.
How We Assess Facial Volume Loss at Aarva
Your appointment is with a doctor. We ask about your health, weight changes, medicines and what bothers you when you look in the mirror. We look at your face from the front and side, at rest and moving.
At your skin consultation we use Aura 3D skin analysis to record the shape of your face and the quality of your skin, so we have a baseline to measure change against. If your volume loss is recent or unexplained, we will talk about checking your general health first.
Treatment Options for Facial Volume Loss
Your plan depends on what we find, often combines treatments in stages, and is set at your consultation.
Daily sun protection, not smoking and keeping your weight stable all help protect the collagen and fat you have.
What to Expect
What to expect depends on the treatment chosen, the settings used and the outcomes you agree with your doctor in your plan.
Collagen stimulators usually need a course of sessions spaced several weeks apart, with results showing gradually over the following months. Fillers show a change straight away, although swelling can take a week or two to settle. Bruising, tenderness and swelling are common for a few days after any injectable.
No treatment stops ageing, so most people choose maintenance sessions over time. How long results last varies between people and products.
How We Approach Facial Volume Loss at Aarva
We look for the reason your face has changed before treating it. Sometimes that means a conversation about weight, diet or recent illness, and sometimes a blood test through our private GP service on the same medical record. Our aim is a face that looks rested and like you, not a face that looks filled.
You go home with a written treatment plan with clear pricing. You can book on the day or take time to think it over. If we think a treatment is unlikely to help, or that you do not need one, we will tell you.
When to See a Doctor Sooner
If you are losing weight without trying, without changing your diet or exercise, see your GP, especially if you also have other symptoms such as tiredness, night sweats or a change in bowel habit. New weakness or drooping on one side of the face needs urgent help: call 999. After any filler, contact the clinic that treated you straight away if you have severe pain or pale or dusky skin near the area, and call 999 if your vision changes.
This list is not exhaustive. If you are not sure about something, see a doctor.
Questions Patients Ask About Volume Loss
Cannot see your question? Our doctors are happy to talk it through at your consultation.
Volume can often be restored with fillers for an immediate change or collagen stimulators for a gradual one. We first check your weight is stable and that the weight loss has a clear reason.
Not if treatment is planned carefully. We aim for balance across the whole face and prefer to build gradually over more than one visit.
It varies with the product, the area treated and your own metabolism. Most people need maintenance over time.
The price depends on your plan, which products are used and how many sessions you need. It is confirmed in writing before any treatment starts.
Why Patients Choose Aarva
Come to Us With a Problem, Not a Treatment
If your face has started to look hollow or tired, book a consultation with one of our doctors, or use Find your starting point if you are not sure where to begin.
Related conditions: Loss of firmness and skin laxity · Jowls, jawline and double chin · Under-eye hollows and dark circles
This page is general information and does not replace a consultation with a doctor.