Buccal fat pad extraction or buccal fat removal is a plastic surgery procedure for reducing prominent cheeks, by the proportional removal of buccal fat-pad tissue.

What does removing buccal fat do?

Buccal fat removal is a surgery that reduces the size of your cheeks. A surgeon removes the buccal fat pads, creating a slimmer face. If you meet certain health criteria and have a fuller face, you might be an ideal candidate. In general, the procedure is considered safe.

Is a buccal fat removal permanent?

Buccal fat removal is a permanent solution to reducing the size of your cheeks. Once fat is removed in any area of the body, it does not come back, and that is true for buccal fat removal surgery as well.

How painful is buccal fat removal?

Is the procedure painful? Since Buccal fat pad removal is a soft tissue procedure, discomfort is mild. Though pain is rare, patients are given pain medications to take home in case you need them.

Does buccal fat removal make a difference?

Nashville-based board certified plastic surgeon Jacob Unger, MD, explains that “when executed properly, buccal fat removal gently changes the contour of the face. But it can certainly be over-resected – which means too much fat is removed. Going from a full face to a severely sculpted look is not subtle.

All About Buccal Fat Removal Surgery and Recovery - Dr. Donald B. Yoo

23 related questions found

Can you lose buccal fat naturally?

You can't get rid of buccal fat through diet or exercise, either—people with excess buccal fat can have plump, chipmunk-like cheeks, even if they don't have much fat on the rest of their body.

Will buccal fat removal age me?

In conclusion, buccal fat removal plastic surgery will not make the face look older if any cheekbone deficiency is corrected at the same time with either soft tissue fillers or cheek implants.

Will my face sag after buccal fat removal?

Most commonly, its prominence is encountered during examination for facial rejuvenation surgery. In some patients, the buccal fat can cause unwanted fullness and, in more extreme cases, has been shown to pseudoherniate and result in the appearance of a sagging mass within the cheek.

Can you brush teeth after buccal fat removal?

As a result, your surgeon will recommend that you use an antiseptic mouth wash for a week following the surgery to maintain your oral hygiene. Brushing can be resumed once the sutures dissolve.

Does buccal fat removal change your smile?

Unwanted buccal fat deposits affect the look of the entire lower jawline area, including the nasolabial folds that run from each side of the nose to the corners of the mouth. These folds are responsible for our “smile lines”. Large buccal fat pads can worsen the appearance of these facial lines.

Who should get buccal fat removal?

Who is a good candidate for buccal fat removal?

• You are physically healthy and at a stable weight.
• You have realistic expectations.
• You are a nonsmoker.
• You are bothered by the appearance of your chubby cheeks.

Is buccal fat genetic?

Your bone structure is largely genetically determined, but you may be able to decrease the amount of fat in your cheeks. The best way to do this is by lowering your overall body fat percentage through dieting and exercise. Some people naturally have more hollow-looking cheeks and thinner faces than others.

How long is recovery from buccal fat removal?

Recovery from Buccal Fat Pad Removal

It typically takes about seven to 10 days for the tissues inside the mouth to recover following cheek fat pad removal. As such, a patient may need to maintain a soft or semi-liquid diet in the first few days after surgery.

Is buccal fat surgery worth it?

If you have rounder cheeks and a fuller face, consider talking to your doctor about buccal fat removal. The procedure is a proven effective solution at thinning the face and giving cheeks more definition.

What can I eat after buccal fat removal?

Eat a bland, soft diet (applesauce and broth for starters). After surgery you will have some pain and discomfort due to the surgery, which is to be expected and should be controlled with pain medications (Tylenol or prescription pain medications only).

Can you use a straw after buccal fat removal?

PLEASE DO NOT SMOKE OR USE STRAWS for at least 48 hours, since this is very detrimental to healing.

What is buccal fat on your face?

A buccal fat removal removes the buccal fat pad, a naturally-occurring pad of fat in the cheek hollow area.

How long does it take for swelling to go down after Bichectomy?

Usually the swelling is improved after about 3-4 days. You should stay on soft diet because chewing irritates the area which is healing.

Will buccal fat go away with weight loss?

If you lose weight, you may notice some diminishment of your buccal fat pads. However, they'll still be larger in proportion to the rest of your face.

Why do cheeks get fatter with age?

With age, that fat loses volume, clumps up, and shifts downward, so features that were formerly round may sink, and skin that was smooth and tight gets loose and sags. Meanwhile other parts of the face gain fat, particularly the lower half, so we tend to get baggy around the chin and jowly in the neck.

What would I look like with buccal fat removal?

You will look skinnier. The gaunt appearance comes from a combination of sagging, volume loss, and an over the prominence of the cheekbones. The buccal fat removal does not make up the entirety of the volume of our face. You likely have seen many older people with gaunt faces, and they did not have buccal fat removal.

Does buccal fat get bigger?

Usually, there is a significant increase in buccal fat between the ages of 10-20, and then a slow, ongoing reduction until about 50.

What happens after buccal fat removal?

Possible side effects following a buccal fat removal include changes in sensation, prolonged swelling, nerve injury leading to muscle weakness, salivary duct injury, asymmetry, or need for revision surgery due to suboptimal results.

Why is my face fat but I'm skinny?

“Excess facial fat typically occurs from weight gain resulting from a poor diet, lack of exercise, aging, or genetic conditions. Fat is usually more visible in the cheeks, jowls, under the chin and neck.”

How can I reduce my big cheeks?

Here are 8 effective methods to help you lose fat in your face.

1. Do facial exercises. ...
2. Add cardio to your routine. ...
3. Drink more water. ...
4. Limit alcohol consumption. ...
5. Cut back on refined carbs. ...
6. Switch up your sleep schedule. ...
7. Watch your sodium intake. ...
8. Eat more fiber.