Hollow cheeks after Shurink: why does it happen and how can it be reduced?

Hollow cheeks after Shurink refers to the area under the cheekbones or the side cheeks looking sunken as fat decreases when a lot of ultrasound heat reaches the fat layer of the cheeks. It tends to occur in people with little facial fat or in faces whose cheeks are already hollow, so the key is to adjust depth and number of shots after checking fat thickness before treatment.

Why do cheeks become hollow after Shurink?

Shurink Universe is a device that focuses high-intensity focused ultrasound on the fascia layer and dermis to contract tissue. Each cartridge has a set depth at which heat forms, so if the depth is not chosen to match each face's skin and fat thickness, heat may form in the fat layer above the fascia.

The area under the cheekbones and the side cheeks naturally have little fat, so even a small reduction of fat there can make hollowness stand out. For the same reason, hollow cheeks are also easily noticeable in faces whose cheek fat has already decreased with age, or in faces that have lost a lot of weight through dieting.

What do we look at to reduce hollow cheeks after Shurink?

Before treatment, we first look at the fat thickness of the cheeks and jawline and whether there are already hollow areas. For areas where hollowness is a concern, we reduce shots or switch to a shallower depth, and plan by area, for example concentrating energy on the jawline and double chin where there is more fat.

At our Suwon clinic, Shurink Universe is performed after you wash your face yourself and numbing cream is applied, and consultations are based on 3 to 5 or more sessions at 1-month intervals depending on your skin condition.

What should I do if my cheeks look hollow after treatment?

Up to 2 to 3 weeks after treatment, swelling is still going down, so contours that were hidden by swelling may appear and look sunken before settling again. If hollowness remains after that, we don't add more ultrasound to the same area; instead, during consultation we consider filling volume with hyaluronic acid filler or injections that help collagen production.

Warmth, tingling, swelling, redness, and dryness after treatment subside soon. Avoid heavy drinking, saunas, and vigorous exercise for about 7 days, and if pain gets progressively worse or blisters form on the skin, please contact the clinic.

When do Shurink results appear in Suwon, and how do changes right after differ from those a few weeks later?

View Shurink Universe Treatment Information

FAQ

Q. Do hollow cheeks after Shurink recover on their own?

A. If the cheeks looked temporarily sunken while swelling was going down, they may settle within a few weeks. Hollowness caused by an actual reduction in fat can take a long time to recover, so after examining your condition, we also consider ways to restore volume.

Q. I don't have much facial fat. Can I still get Shurink?

A. If you have little facial fat, we reduce or skip shots under the cheekbones and on the side cheeks, and plan mainly around sagging areas such as the jawline. If hollowness is a concern, during consultation we also look at methods that treat layers shallower than the fat layer, or at restoring volume.

Q. If I reduce the number of Shurink shots, will I avoid hollow cheeks?

A. Where and at what depth the shots are placed affects hollow cheeks more than the total number of shots. If shots are concentrated on side cheeks with thin fat, even a few shots can cause hollowness, so we decide shot distribution and cartridge depth after checking fat thickness in each area.