Facial hollowing: what to look at if you are losing weight quickly?
If your face looks hollow while you are losing weight quickly, we first distinguish whether the main issue is lost volume, loosened skin, or roughened skin texture.
If volume has decreased, we look first at fillers or collagen-stimulating injections; if sagging is the main concern, lifting; and if dryness and fine lines are bothersome, skin boosters. If your weight is still changing, rather than filling a lot of volume at once, we follow the course of your weight loss and decide the amount and areas in stages.
Why the face looks hollow when you lose weight
The subcutaneous fat of the face is not a single mass but is divided into several compartments that support the cheeks, temples, and under-eye area. When you lose weight, this fat also decreases, and three changes overlap.
- Shadows: As the cheeks and temples once supported by fat hollow out, shadows deepen.
- Sagging: As the supporting volume decreases, the excess skin makes the cheeks and jawline look saggy.
- Thinner skin texture: The skin may look thinner, and dryness and fine wrinkles may become more noticeable.
The degree of change varies from person to person depending on how much weight was lost, the face's original volume, and skin elasticity. That is why, rather than the name of the weight-loss medication, we first look at where the face is currently hollow and where it is sagging.
Treatments to consider first by visible change
| Visible change | Treatments to Consider First | How changes appear | Anesthesia and duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deeply hollowed cheeks and temples | Hyaluronic acid filler | Volume visible from treatment, lasting 6–12 months | Treatment takes about 10 minutes |
| Volume lost broadly and shallowly | Juvelook Volume, Sculptra | Fills in gradually over 4~6 weeks | About 15~30 minutes of treatment after 20~40 minutes of anesthesia |
| Blurred jawline and sagging | Ulthera | Gradually over 1 to 2 months | Numbing cream, about 1 hour in total |
| Dryness and fine lines | Rejuran Healer, Re2O | Skin texture and firmness change over repeated sessions | Rejuran Healer: numbing cream, about 15~30 minutes |
Recommended Intervals and Sessions by Concern
1. Faces with broad volume loss
- Recommended product: Juvelook Volume (PDLLA and hyaluronic acid)
- Recommended interval: 1 month apart
- Recommended sessions: at least 3
- Characteristics: With larger particles than Juvelook, it is placed deeper in the tissue to build volume.
2. Faces with a blurred, sagging jawline
- Recommended device: Ulthera
- Recommended interval: 6 months~1 year
- Characteristics: Ultrasound energy is focused on the fascial layer (SMAS) to contract lax tissue. For faces whose cheeks have already thinned, we also assess the remaining volume, and where hollowing and sagging overlap, we schedule it separately from volume treatments.
3. Dry skin with increasing fine lines
- Recommended product: Rejuran Healer
- Recommended interval: every 3–4 weeks
- Recommended sessions: 3 sessions, followed by maintenance treatments
- Characteristics: PN is delivered into the dermis to support the skin's regenerative environment. As it does not fill deep hollows, it is planned with a different goal from volume treatments.
When to Start, Depending on Your Weight-Loss Stage
- While weight loss is ongoing: We photograph your face as it is now and start with the area that concerns you most. While your weight is still changing, we keep the treatment scope modest and adjust gradually in line with the trend of loss.
- Once your weight has stabilized: Comparing with the first photos, we choose what to address first among volume, lifting and skin boosters. Rather than fixing a start date by a number of months, we consider weight changes, skin condition and the time you have available for recovery together.
- Lifestyle care: Even if your portions shrink, don't skip protein-containing foods, and keep up moisturizing and sun protection consistently. Use weight-loss medication as directed by the prescribing medical institution.
Precautions on the Day of Treatment (The Most Important 24 Hours)
- After Juvelook Volume or fillers, you may wash your face and apply makeup from 2~3 hours later.
- After Ulthera, you can wash your face and apply makeup right away; for 3 days, cleanse with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water.
- After Juvelook Volume, gently massage for about 5 minutes, 5 times a day, for at least 5 days to reduce any lumpy feeling.
What to avoid for one to 3 weeks
- For 3~7 days after fillers or Juvelook Volume: alcohol, smoking, saunas, hot baths and strenuous exercise
- For about 1 week after Ulthera: saunas, alcohol, peels and scrub products
- For 2~3 weeks after injection treatments: sleeping face down, ultrasound and radiofrequency treatments, and anything that presses on the treated area, such as facial meridian massage
Aftercare and Safety
- Bruising, swelling, pain and a foreign-body sensation after injection treatments mostly subside within 1~2 weeks. In rare cases, an injection can block a blood vessel and cause skin necrosis or vision loss, so please contact us immediately if pain gradually worsens, skin color changes or blisters appear.
- Please let us know before treatment if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, are taking any medication or have allergies, or have previously received fillers or other injections. If you use weight-loss medication, please also tell us its name and how long you have been using it.
Booking and consultation
Face Filter Clinic Suwon offers Juvelook Volume as 1-session and 3-session options based on 1vial, and fillers by the cc. Through a personalized consultation and pre-treatment photos, we record your face as it is now, hear about your future weight plans, and then decide the order of treatments.
View Juvelook Volume Treatment Information
This content is provided as general treatment information and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a medical professional to decide whether and how to proceed with a treatment.