Worried About a Skull-Shaped or Peanut-Shaped Face? Try This Before Surgery!

Hello, I'm Dr. Lee Goeun, Chief Director of Nine Clinic at Hongdae Dermatology 🙂

Have you ever heard someone say something like this?

“My cheekbones make me look like a skull…”

“Is my face shaped like a peanut?”

At first it sounds like a joke,

but before you know it, you may find yourself searching for “contouring surgery” without even meaning to.

If you've paused and thought, “Ugh… surgery feels like way too much…”,

this post is for you.

In fact, surgery isn't the only way to refine your facial contours.

One alternative that many people have been looking into lately is

Hongdae Dermatology's Mihee Injection.

You may be hearing about it for the first time.

So today, if your facial contours are on your mind,

I want to introduce an approach beyond surgery 🙂

Is a peanut-shaped face really not caused by bone?

When your cheekbones look prominent and your jawline appears more pronounced,

the cause isn't always bone.

In reality, as the volume and elasticity beneath your skin decline,

your existing bone structure tends to become much more noticeable.

For example,

when the fullness under your cheekbones sinks, the cheekbones appear more prominent,

and when volume around the mouth and chin decreases, the lower face looks more pronounced.

This happens because the soft tissue of the entire face (fat and collagen) decreases,

so the “remaining bone structure” looks relatively more prominent.

So when you look in the mirror and think,

“My cheekbones look too prominent,”

or “My chin looks blunt,”

many people find that when they actually touch their face,

the hollowed-out areas where volume has been lost are the first thing they feel.

Especially under the cheeks, beside the cheekbones, around the nasolabial area, and at the front of the chin,

these areas are the first to hollow out as we age,

and that hollowing has the most direct impact on facial contours.

We see this quite often in our clinic at Hongdae Dermatology, too.

Some patients come in saying, “I'm thinking about contouring surgery,”

but when we take a closer look at their face,

we often find that losing volume has made their overall look appear harsher.

So as a step before surgery,

I sometimes suggest starting with gradual care for volume loss and hollowing first ^^

Here are some before-and-after photos of patients who received treatment at our clinic!

You'll really see the difference when you look at them~

The same face from the front, the second photo of the comparison.

Front-view clinical photo of a face with the eyes blurred, the first of a before-and-after comparison.

The same woman's lower face from the same angle, the second photo of the comparison.

Angled close-up of an older woman's lower face showing the cheek, smile line and jawline; first of a comparison pair.

The same cheek and mouth area, the second photo of the comparison.

Close-up of a young woman's lower face around the cheek and mouth; first of a comparison pair.

The same nose and mouth area, the second photo of the comparison.

Close-up of the nose and mouth area showing the smile lines; first of a comparison pair.

The same person's nose and mouth area, the second photo of the comparison.

Another person's nose and mouth area, the first photo of a new comparison pair.

The same under-eye area, the second photo of the comparison.

Eye area with the eyes blurred, showing the under-eye area; first of a comparison pair.

The same spot below the eye, the second photo of the comparison.

Close-up of the skin just below one eye; first of a comparison pair.

The same person's under-eye area, the second photo of the comparison.

Another person's eye area, eyes blurred, focusing on the under-eyes; first of a comparison pair.

*These are real cases of clients who received treatment at Nine Clinic.

What About Fillers?

Well, among the ways to add volume,

the one most people think of first is probably filler.

Filler adds volume directly to the areas that need it,

and it's an effective way to quickly refine the contours.

But personally,

for areas where dimension and lines matter, like the facial contour,

I think an approach that builds up naturally from within the skin suits better.

Especially in areas like under the eyes or the nasolabial folds, where filler can clump

or form nodules, which can be troublesome,

Mihee Injection can be an even better alternative.

(Confident hand gesture 👌🏻)

So rather than a method that creates instant volume like filler,

I also recommend Mihee Injection, which gently encourages collagen

to build up slowly over time.

It was developed in-house at Nine Dermatology.

Of course, depending on the situation, filler may be the better fit.

If you're short on time or need quick results,

filler may be a much more suitable choice.

If this sounds like you, give it a thought!

Mihee Injection

isn't about instant, dramatic changes.

It's a better fit for those who want to gently refine the overall contour of the face.

▶ Your cheekbones are fairly prominent, but the fullness beneath them has sunk, making them look even more pronounced.

▶ Contouring surgery feels like too much, and you'd rather start with natural-looking changes.

▶ Your whole face feels like it has lost volume.

▶ You want your volume restored without it looking obvious.

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Wrapping Up This Post on Hongdae Dermatology's Mihee Injection

Today, too, after finishing my appointments, I was chatting with the team at Hongdae Dermatology,

and one of them said with a smile, “Doctor, if you're writing a post, please make sure to cover this topic~”

That's how this post came about, haha.

To be honest, this blog is like a little diary for me,

so I find it quite fun to organize the conversations from the exam room

and the thoughts I've had 🙂

If, while reading, you thought, “Oh, I had this worry too…”

that alone is enough for me, haha.

So I'll be back with more helpful and fun stories

from the exam room.

"We want you to become more beautiful every moment."

This was Lee Goeun of Nine Clinic, Hongdae Dermatology!

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And by the way,

did you know we have a YouTube channel?

We share short, helpful information about various treatments,

so please stop by 😊

Goeun Skin – Lee Goeun Share your videos with friends, family, and the world www.youtube.com

#HongdaDermatology #HongdaEntranceDermatology #HongdaStationDermatology #HapjeongDermatology #SinchonDermatology #BestHongdaDermatology #CollagenInjection #CollagenBooster #MiheeInjection #TheMihee #PeanutShapedFace #SkullShapedFace #SunkenCheeks #HollowCheeks #ContouringSurgery #ContouringProcedure #Filler #ElegantFaceShape #OvalFace

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a peanut-shaped or skull-shaped face always caused by bone?

No, it may not always be caused by bone. According to the article, in many cases the existing bone structure simply becomes more visible as volume and elasticity beneath the skin decline. When the fullness under the cheekbones sinks, the cheekbones can look more prominent, and when volume around the mouth and chin decreases, the lower face can appear more pronounced.

Which areas of the face hollow out first as we age?

The areas below the cheeks, beside the cheekbones, around the nasolabial area, and at the front of the chin are the first to hollow out with age. This hollowing can directly affect the contour of the face, because the loss of soft tissue (fat and collagen) makes the remaining bone structure look relatively more prominent.

Can facial contours be improved without surgery?

Yes. According to the article, one non-surgical approach is to start by managing volume loss and hollowing, and the article introduces Mihee Injection as an option for this. The article suggests gradually addressing volume loss and hollowing as a step before surgery, and describes Mihee Injection as a treatment developed in-house at Nine Dermatology.

How is Mihee Injection different from filler?

Filler adds volume directly to the areas that need it, quickly refining the contours. Mihee Injection, on the other hand, encourages collagen to build up gradually over time. The article notes that if you have limited time or need faster results, filler may be the more suitable choice.

Who is Mihee Injection best suited for?

According to the article, Mihee Injection is better suited to people who want to gently refine the overall contour of the face rather than achieve instant, dramatic changes. Examples given include: cheekbones that are fairly prominent but have sunken fullness beneath them; people who find contouring surgery too daunting and want natural-looking changes first; people whose whole face feels like it has lost volume; and people who want volume restored without it looking obvious.

Which clinic wrote this post?

This post was written by Lee Goeun, Chief Director of Nine Clinic. The clinic's address is listed at the bottom of the post as 3F, 165 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul.