Concern
Lost volume & hollowing in Reading
Flat cheeks, hollow temples and the deflation that makes a face read older than it is. Treated at our salon in Caversham, Reading.
What causes it?
Faces do not simply sag; they deflate first. The fat pads that give a young face its light-catching curve shrink and descend, bone remodels at the eye socket and jaw, and the result reads as tired, gaunt or older rather than specifically 'lined'. Replacing volume in the right compartment, usually the mid-face rather than where the hollow appears, restores the structure everything else hangs from. Done properly it is unnoticeable as treatment and obvious as a difference.
Volume loss is layered. Bone recedes, particularly around the eye socket and along the jaw. Deep fat pads shrink. Superficial fat slides downward. Skin thins over the top of all of it.
That layering is why the place you notice the problem is often not the place to treat. Hollow under-eyes are frequently caused by the cheek dropping away beneath them, and filling the hollow directly gives that puffy, heavy look everyone recognises. Supporting the cheek lifts the whole area and the hollow improves without being touched.
Signs to look out for
Most people who come to us about lost volume & hollowing recognise several of these. You do not need all of them, and you do not need to know which treatment you want — that is our job.
- Cheeks that have flattened rather than dropped
- A shadow under the eye that makeup will not cover
- Temples that have hollowed, narrowing the top of the face
- Looking drawn after losing weight
- Photographs where the light no longer catches your cheekbone
How we can help
These are the routes we would talk through at consultation, in the order we would usually consider them. Which one is right depends on your skin, your history and your budget.
Restore the mid-face first
Cheek enhancement rebuilds the structural support the rest of the face depends on. In most plans it comes before anything else, because it changes how much is needed elsewhere.
Fill specific areas with dermal filler
Once structure is in place, targeted filler addresses nose-to-mouth lines, marionette lines and temples. Results are immediate and last typically nine to eighteen months depending on area and product.
Rebuild gradually with a collagen stimulator
Sculptra does not fill — it prompts your own collagen over months, which suits generalised loss across a whole face and looks progressive rather than sudden.
Not sure which of these is you?
You do not have to decide before you come in. Bring the problem and we will talk you through what could help and what it costs. The consultation is free and there is no obligation to book anything.
What to expect over time
A realistic guide, including the stretch in the middle where it may not look like much is happening. Everyone responds differently, so your practitioner will talk you through your own timeline.
The same day
Filler results are immediate but swollen. Do not judge anything on day one, and do not book a wedding for the same week.
Days 2 to 5
Swelling settles and bruising, if any, surfaces. This is the least flattering point of the whole process.
Week 2
Product has integrated with the tissue and softened. This is the real result, and where we review.
Month 9 to 18
Gradual breakdown. Topping up before it disappears entirely keeps the look consistent and usually costs less overall.
Good to know
Chasing volume is how faces start to look done. There is a point where more product stops restoring and starts distorting, and it arrives sooner than most people expect. We work in conservative amounts across staged appointments, and if you have had a lot of filler elsewhere we may recommend dissolving before adding. Sculptra is also not for anyone who wants a result for an event in six weeks. It does not work that way.
Treatments that can help
Listed strongest match first. All of them are done at our salon on 3 Prospect Street in Caversham, Reading.
Common questions
Will it look obvious?
Not if it is placed to restore what was there. Obvious work is usually over-filling in the wrong compartment, most often the cheeks.
How long does dermal filler last?
Nine to eighteen months in most areas. Areas that move constantly, like around the mouth, are at the shorter end.
Can it be reversed?
Hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved. Collagen stimulators like Sculptra cannot, which is one reason we are careful about who they suit.
Is it painful?
Numbing cream first, and most fillers contain anaesthetic. Pressure more than pain, and it is over quickly.
Other concerns we treat
Ready to talk it through?
Bring the problem, not the treatment name. Consultations are free and carry no obligation.
