Does SkinVive add volume to the cheeks?

Cheeks are where a reader is most likely to confuse two goals: fuller-looking cheeks and better-looking skin. Mixing them up can lead to the wrong appointment.

What the approval coverage says about the cheeks

The page at www.dermatologytimes.com says the injectable gel contains the local anesthetic lidocaine and works to improve skin quality in the cheeks by increasing hydration and smoothing the skin. Notice the verbs. The description is about hydration and smoothness, and it says nothing about adding volume.

How to read that answer cautiously

Do not stretch a description of skin quality into a promise of lift or fullness. If volume is what you want, that is a separate question for a provider, and Cleveland Clinic's overview of dermal fillers is a reasonable place to see how fillers are described as a category.

For the product itself, the AbbVie announcement of its FDA approval gives the company's wording. Glam's article, Skinvive: The New Injectable That Doubles As Skincare, shows how loosely the product gets summarized in popular coverage.

Skin quality or volume is a call for an exam

Choosing between a skin-quality treatment and a volume treatment for your cheeks takes an examination. A licensed clinician can look at your face and tell you what each option is meant to do. An article cannot.

If someone promises fuller cheeks

If a provider promises fuller cheeks from a product described as a hydrator, ask them to explain the difference in plain words before you agree to anything.