Bulldog cheeks

[VikingGirl]

Hiya!

I had upper jaw surgery 3,5 months ago and I have started to dislike my new appearance. First thing is my nose, which I will have fixed (they will pay for it since it wasn't meant to happen), but something else is that I don't like my cheeks. When you see me in 3/4 profile, my cheeks simply stick out too much. It's like someones given me an injection in my cheeks, the parts above my upper jaw. Like a bulldog. I hated my underbite before, but when my surgeon said "Oh, you will look your best when we only operate on your upper jaw" I believed him. It's difficult enough having to adapt to a completely new face, it's even worse when you don't like it.. The lower middle part pf my face simply looks too full and sticks out too much. It doesn't suit the rest of my face and my over-all bodytype at all.

Any comforting words? Did you have this phase? Is it even a phase or do I need them to suck out tissue or whatever? I am willing to do anything to look .. I dunno, balanced.

Sorry for being like this, but it really makes me sad and I have no one to tell this to.

[VikingGirl]

Okay, obviously this computer generated picture isn't me, but I just grabbed it to show the problems. The red circles are simply too full - Like they pulled my jaw too much forward.

[bracedfaced]

Hard to say based off a picture that isn't even you. I heard the bulldog look is common with a Lefort I for an overbite, not underbite. I think just in general, when you are manipulating the shape of your face, if your face ends up taking up less space than it did before, the skin is already stretched out. That is what a dentist warned me about. He said the one thing that surgeons and orthodontists won't tell you is that orthognathic surgery can age you and give you a "bulldog" appearance. So I think it is completely normal. I don't know if there is anything that can be done to fix it though.

[VikingGirl]

Hard to say based off a picture that isn't even you. I heard the bulldog look is common with a Lefort I for an overbite, not underbite. I think just in general, when you are manipulating the shape of your face, if your face ends up taking up less space than it did before, the skin is already stretched out. That is what a dentist warned me about. He said the one thing that surgeons and orthodontists won't tell you is that orthognathic surgery can age you and give you a "bulldog" appearance. So I think it is completely normal. I don't know if there is anything that can be done to fix it though.

Yeah, sorry about the picture, but I havent recharged my camera lately

Thanks for your reply:) This is definetly something I will take up with my surgeon though. If I'm going to look like a dog, it better not be a bulldog. I just don't get why they didn't tell me about something like that - My surgeon got paid through the government, not me. It wasn't done privately.

[femmefatale]

He said the one thing that surgeons and orthodontists won't tell you is that orthognathic surgery can age you and give you a "bulldog" appearance.

Did he tell you if that happens with only maxillary impaction or when you also move it forward or do both things ?

[bracedfaced]

He said the one thing that surgeons and orthodontists won't tell you is that orthognathic surgery can age you and give you a "bulldog" appearance.

Did he tell you if that happens with only maxillary impaction or when you also move it forward or do both things ?

He was specifically referring to my situation...gummy smile...maxillary impaction needed. But I would assume it would be the case anytime the face is being made smaller. The skin needs to go somewhere. Plus I am 31 so it's worse with older patients.

I plan to talk to my surgeon about this when I see him next month!

My mom's advice...there's always a face lift... Lol. Oh great!!

Vikinggirl, i'd love to see your pics! I bet its not that bad. We tend to be our own worst critics...

[ColoradoGirl]

Might be swelling, too--my surgeon said that the swelling goes down really slowly after the first couple of weeks, and isn't totally gone for a full year.

[Aviv16]

Hi VikingGirl,

As someone who had surgery the same week as you, I have actually thought the same thing about my cheeks. Until I read your post I assumed it was swelling, because my surgeon told me that the swelling around the nose takes the longest to go and will be present for several months. I'm willing to bet that at six months post-op we might both look quite different. I know for sure that I look different from a few weeks ago, it's gradual changes but it's there.

If you're really worried, perhaps you could speak to your surgeon?

Nice to 'see' you anyway!

[VikingGirl]

Hi VikingGirl,

As someone who had surgery the same week as you, I have actually thought the same thing about my cheeks. Until I read your post I assumed it was swelling, because my surgeon told me that the swelling around the nose takes the longest to go and will be present for several months. I'm willing to bet that at six months post-op we might both look quite different. I know for sure that I look different from a few weeks ago, it's gradual changes but it's there.

If you're really worried, perhaps you could speak to your surgeon?

Nice to 'see' you anyway!

"Great" to hear I'm not the only one Oh yes, you were in the July club! How's your jaws going btw? I think I'll try and ressurrect that thread.

I'll take it up with my surgeon/ortho next time I see one of them. Of course, it's nowhere near as bead as before, it has just been my biggest fear to end up not liking my new appearence.

[Christina28]

If the issue is cheeks which are too full, a bucal lipectomy can give more definition in your face. It is a removal of the fat pad under the lower cheeckbones. It is cosmetic of course. It would all depend exactly on what is causing problem and what outcome you want to achieve whether or not this could be of help.