Do cheek bones shrink? The surprising truth about aging and your facial structure

Recent studies have overturned the long-held belief that facial aging is only skin-deep, showing that our underlying bone structure changes significantly over time. This phenomenon leads many to wonder, do cheek bones shrink? The answer is a surprising and complex look at bone resorption and how it affects facial appearance.

Quick Summary

As we age, our facial bones, including the zygomatic arches that form the cheekbones, lose density and volume in a process called resorption, causing them to shrink. This loss of underlying support contributes to the visible signs of aging, such as sagging skin, hollows, and deeper wrinkles, as soft tissues are no longer adequately supported.

Key Points

• Facial Bones Shrink with Age: The underlying facial skeleton, including the cheekbones, loses density and volume over time in a process called bone resorption.

• Changes Go Beyond Skin Deep: Aging isn't just about wrinkles and sagging skin; it is significantly driven by predictable changes to the facial bone structure.

• Impacts on Facial Appearance: The shrinking of cheekbones leads to a loss of mid-face projection, creating a flatter, more hollow appearance and contributing to deepened nasolabial folds.

• Factors Influence Bone Loss: While natural aging is the primary driver, genetics, hormonal changes (especially in women), and lifestyle factors like smoking and poor nutrition can accelerate facial bone resorption.

• Interventions Can Help: Treatments like dermal fillers or cheek implants can restore lost volume and provide skeletal support, offering a more comprehensive approach to facial rejuvenation.

• Overall Health is Key: Maintaining a healthy diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, and ensuring good dental health, can support overall bone density and mitigate some effects of facial aging.

The Hidden Cause of Facial Aging

For decades, cosmetic experts focused on the skin and soft tissues when addressing the signs of aging, such as sagging and wrinkles. It was believed that loss of elasticity and the downward pull of gravity were the primary culprits. However, advanced 3D imaging has revolutionized our understanding of facial aging, revealing that changes to the facial skeleton play a far more significant role than previously thought. The realization that facial bones undergo resorption—the breakdown and absorption of bone tissue—has provided a more complete picture of why our faces change over time.

How Bone Resorption Affects Cheekbones

The cheekbones, or zygomatic bones, are the foundational structures of the mid-face. In youth, they are often prominent and provide a high, defined contour. As we age, however, the process of bone resorption causes a gradual decrease in their density and projection. This creates a less defined, flatter appearance and contributes to a number of common age-related concerns.

• Loss of Projection: The anterior portion of the maxilla, which supports the cheek area, tends to recede. This loss of bony support means the cheeks lose their youthful fullness and appear flatter.
• Deepening Folds: The reduced structural support causes the overlying fat pads and skin to descend. This is a major factor in the deepening of nasolabial folds (the lines from the nose to the corners of the mouth) and the formation of marionette lines (the lines from the corners of the mouth to the chin).
• Hollowing and Sagging: As the cheeks lose their volume, it can lead to a sunken or gaunt appearance. The soft tissues, which now have less bone to drape over, begin to sag, leading to a loss of the youthful heart-shaped facial contour.

Factors Contributing to Facial Bone Loss

While bone resorption is a natural part of the aging process, several factors can influence its rate and intensity.

• Genetics: Your genetic makeup plays a significant role in determining your facial bone structure and how it will age. Some individuals are predisposed to more pronounced bone changes.
• Hormonal Changes: Hormonal shifts, particularly the decrease in estrogen after menopause in women, can accelerate the rate of bone density loss throughout the body, including the face. This is one reason why facial changes often occur earlier in women than in men.
• Lifestyle and Environment: Certain lifestyle choices can contribute to premature aging and bone loss. Smoking, for example, can break down collagen and impede healthy bone remodeling. Excessive sun exposure can also damage the skin and affect underlying structures over time.
• Nutritional Deficiencies: A diet lacking essential nutrients, especially calcium and vitamin D, can negatively impact overall bone health. Proper nutrition is crucial for maintaining bone density.
• Dental Health: The condition of your teeth can also impact facial bone structure. Tooth loss, for instance, can accelerate the resorption of the maxilla and mandible (upper and lower jawbones).

Comparison of Facial Aging Factors

To understand the full scope of facial aging, it's helpful to see how bone changes interact with other known factors, such as soft tissue and skin changes.

Feature	Age-Related Bone Changes	Age-Related Soft Tissue Changes	Age-Related Skin Changes
Cheek Volume	Bone resorption causes loss of projection and a flatter contour.	Fat pads shrink and descend, contributing to hollowness.	Skin loses elasticity, accentuating the loss of underlying volume.
Eye Area	Eye sockets widen and lengthen due to bone recession, causing a sunken look.	Muscle and fat changes can create undereye bags and puffiness.	Thinning skin and loss of elasticity increase crow's feet and wrinkles.
Jawline	Bone loss in the mandible and prejowl area reduces support, leading to jowls.	Fat pad descent and muscle laxity contribute to sagging and a less defined jawline.	Reduced collagen and elasticity exacerbate the appearance of jowls.
Nasolabial Folds	Maxillary bone loss can reduce support, deepening these lines from below.	Fat pad descent from the cheeks pushes tissue downward, deepening the fold.	Repeated facial expressions etch lines into the less elastic skin over time.

What You Can Do to Support Facial Bone Health

While you cannot entirely stop the process of facial bone resorption, there are proactive steps you can take to support your overall skeletal health and minimize its effects on your appearance. A multi-faceted approach addressing nutrition, lifestyle, and targeted interventions is most effective.

1. Prioritize Bone-Supporting Nutrients: Ensure your diet includes sufficient calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is the primary building block for bones, while vitamin D is crucial for its absorption. Food sources include dairy products, leafy greens, fortified cereals, and fatty fish.
2. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle: Avoid lifestyle habits known to accelerate bone loss. This includes quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, and protecting your skin from excessive sun exposure.
3. Explore Cosmetic Interventions: If you are concerned about volume loss in your cheeks, modern cosmetic procedures offer effective solutions. Dermal fillers, for instance, can be used to replace lost volume in the mid-face area, restoring a more youthful contour. Other options, such as cheek implants or fat grafting, provide longer-lasting results. For a more comprehensive overview, a consultation with a qualified medical professional can help you explore the best options for your specific needs.
4. Practice Consistent Dental Hygiene: Good dental health is vital for maintaining the bone structure of your jaw. Regular check-ups and addressing issues like tooth loss promptly can help prevent accelerated bone resorption in the jaw and surrounding areas.

The New Frontier of Facial Rejuvenation

As our understanding of facial bone aging has grown, so too has the approach to facial rejuvenation. The focus is shifting from solely treating the skin to addressing the foundational structures beneath. This comprehensive approach, which may combine skeletal support with soft tissue correction, can lead to more natural and long-lasting results. By acknowledging that the facial skeleton experiences predictable age-related changes, modern techniques can better restore youthful proportions and reverse the effects of time. The future of aging gracefully is not just about caring for your skin, but for the very bones that hold it up.

This emerging knowledge reminds us that a youthful appearance is built from the inside out. While wrinkles and sagging are visible cues, the underlying facial bone changes provide the true architectural blueprint for aging. By addressing the root cause, rather than just the surface symptoms, we can achieve more authentic and comprehensive age-related improvements. The process of supporting healthy aging in the face is holistic, combining healthy habits with advanced medical understanding. For further reading, an excellent resource on the latest findings regarding age-related facial changes can be found in the article, Changes in the Facial Skeleton With Aging.

Conclusion

The answer to the question, do cheek bones shrink?, is a definitive yes. The phenomenon of facial bone resorption is a key, and often overlooked, component of the aging process. It affects not only the cheekbones but the entire facial skeleton, causing a loss of volume and structural support that contributes significantly to the signs of aging. By understanding this deeper architectural change, we can take more effective steps toward supporting our facial health and maintaining a more youthful appearance over time. This includes adopting healthy lifestyle practices and, for those interested, exploring modern cosmetic interventions designed to restore lost bone volume.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes cheek bones to shrink?

Cheek bones shrink primarily due to age-related bone resorption, where bone tissue is broken down faster than it is built. This process leads to a natural decrease in bone density and volume throughout the facial skeleton, including the zygomatic bones.

Is it normal for cheekbones to become less prominent with age?

Yes, it is entirely normal. As part of the natural aging process, both the facial bones and the fat pads in the cheeks lose volume. This combination of bone shrinkage and fat redistribution makes cheekbones appear less prominent over time.

Do osteoporosis and facial bone loss affect each other?

Yes, they are related. The same process of decreasing bone density that causes osteoporosis throughout the body also affects the facial skeleton. Hormonal changes and other factors that contribute to osteoporosis can therefore accelerate bone loss in the face.

How can I tell if my cheekbones are shrinking?

Signs of shrinking cheekbones can include a flatter mid-face profile, an increase in the depth of nasolabial folds (smile lines), and a more hollow or sunken appearance under the eyes and in the cheek area. A dermatologist or plastic surgeon can provide a more precise evaluation.

Can diet and exercise prevent my cheek bones from shrinking?

While diet and exercise cannot completely prevent facial bone resorption, they can help mitigate the effects. A diet rich in calcium and vitamin D supports overall bone health, while a healthy lifestyle can prevent factors like smoking from accelerating bone loss.

Are dermal fillers a permanent solution for cheek volume loss?

No, dermal fillers are not a permanent solution. They use substances like hyaluronic acid to restore temporary volume to the cheeks. The effects are long-lasting but require periodic treatments to maintain results as the filler is naturally absorbed by the body.

Does facial bone loss affect people of all ethnicities equally?

Research suggests that the rate and pattern of facial bone changes can differ between ethnicities. Studies have shown that while aging-related bone changes occur in black individuals, they may be less dramatic than those observed in white individuals, possibly correlating with bone mineral density differences.