← JOURNALVOL. 132026.10.22Health

Cheek hollowing after lifting: what should you check if your face is thin?

In short

Having a thin face alone does not rule out lifting, but first you need to tell whether the concern is sagging or volume loss. Both ultrasound and radiofrequency have rare reports of reduced fat under the skin, but no study compared the two directly, so neither can be called riskier.

Key points

(1).
Facial fat is not one block: a 2007 dissection study of 30 hemifaces found the cheek fat alone divided into three compartments, so “thin” has to be checked area by area.
(2).
A 2025 review of 19 studies (506 people) on one type of ultrasound device (MFU-V) found the common reactions were temporary swelling, redness and pain, with 1 published case of subcutaneous atrophy; in 106 US FDA adverse event reports, fat atrophy was reported often, but voluntary reports cannot give an incidence rate.
(3).
A 2007 single-center review of 290 patients (757 sessions) with one monopolar radiofrequency device found second-degree burns in 2.7% of sessions and rare fat atrophy, but these numbers cannot be applied to all current radiofrequency devices.
(4).
In an analysis of one ultrasound device, 89% of 411 people rated by physicians were at least “slightly improved,” but this counts any improvement at all, the authors noted possible overestimation, and the analysis was funded by the device maker.
(5).
In a 14-person study where filler was placed in abdominal skin and then treated with ultrasound, filler decreased when treated after 60 minutes or 14 days but not after 28 days; as a small, manufacturer-funded study on non-facial skin, it cannot set a safe interval for facial treatment.

When to see a doctor

If hollowing remains or spreads after the swelling settles, or if blisters, redness lasting more than 2–3 days, or tingling pain follow an ultrasound treatment, get checked where you were treated.

FAQ

If I have hollow cheeks, should I only get radiofrequency?

There is not enough evidence for that. The cited data did not compare the two directly, and fat atrophy has been reported with radiofrequency too. Device features, depth, area and goal should be decided together at an individual consultation.

If my cheeks look hollow after treatment, does that mean fat damage?

Not necessarily. The common reactions were temporary, like swelling and redness. But subcutaneous atrophy has been reported, so if hollowing remains or spreads after the swelling goes down, get it checked.

Does this also apply to cheek hollowing after thread lifting?

It is hard to say so. The evidence here comes from ultrasound and radiofrequency device studies, so it does not apply directly to thread procedures.

REFERENCES

Written and reviewed by Dr. Kevin Kim, M.D.Last reviewed October 2026

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