GUIDE:

• Can Buccal Fat Removal Give Me A Slimmer Face?
• Can You Reduce The Buccal Fat Pads With Exercise?
• Does Buccal Fat Pad Removal Age You?
• How Can I Get the Most Out Of My Buccal Fat Removal Results?
• When Will I See Buccal Fat Removal Results?
• How Long Do Buccal Fat Removal Results Last?
• Can Buccal Fat Removal Address Asymmetry In The Cheeks?
• Do I Need To Address Buccal Fat Pads Or Jowls?
• Is Buccal Fat Removal The Best Option For Slimming Down The Face?
• Is Buccal Fat Removal Right For Me?

Buccal fat removal, or buccal lipectomy, defines cheekbones and contours the lower third of the face. Small incisions inside the mouth allow for a portion of the buccal fat pad removal. This minimally invasive face-thinning surgery leaves many of Dr. Kaplan’s adult patients who still had their “baby faces” feeling more confident in their sculpted facial contour.

Can Buccal Fat Removal Give Me A Slimmer Face?

Your buccal fat plays a significant role in the shape of your face, from your cheekbones down to your jawline. Though buccal fat removal is a minor outpatient surgery, it has recently gained popularity because it yields impressive results. It can be an excellent procedure if you feel your face is too round and want a more chiseled look.

Based on reviews from 713 genuine patients on RealSelf, buccal fat removal has a 91% “Worth it” rating. Patients report that the procedure has given their faces more of a V shape and increased their confidence. Many patients combine it with facial procedures like chin liposuction and liquid rhinoplasty for a more dramatic facial transformation. However, as a stand-alone procedure, buccal fat removal has a substantial yet natural-looking impact on facial harmony.

Whether buccal fat pad removal is suitable for your goals depends partially on whether your buccal fat pads are the root cause of your round face. The buccal fat pads sit in the cheek hollows just below your cheekbones. 

Can You Reduce The Buccal Fat Pads With Exercise?

The size of buccal fat pads varies from person to person, and genetics usually causes people to have larger fat pads, not their weight. 

While losing weight may help reduce general facial volume, you can’t reduce the size of your buccal fat pads with diet or exercise. They may slowly thin out with age, but most patients opt for buccal fat removal to get rid of their “chubby cheeks” and achieve a more balanced look.

Does Buccal Fat Pad Removal Age You?

If you already have a slim face, buccal fat pad removal may cause your lower face to appear hollow, a look often associated with an aged appearance. It can also appear unnaturally slim. When you visit a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in buccal fat pad removal, they will assess your facial anatomy and decide whether you would benefit from this surgery or result in a hollowed-out facial appearance.

Patients with rounder and plumper faces achieve great, natural-looking results that complement their other facial features. Like any cosmetic surgery, buccal fat pad removal does wonders for suitable candidates but is not for everyone.

How Can I Get the Most Out Of My Buccal Fat Removal Results?

Wanting to define your cheekbones even more, pair cheek reduction surgery with dermal fillers, facial fat transfer, or cheek implants. Since buccal fat removal is a minor procedure yet makes a big difference in facial appearance, it’s often paired with other facial cosmetic procedures like the mini facelift, chin liposuction, and chin implants.

When Will I See Buccal Fat Removal Results?

You’ll only have some mild swelling for 1-2 days after surgery and it will gradually fade, but it can take a few months until you see the final results, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

How Long Do Buccal Fat Removal Results Last?

One of the main advantages of buccal fat removal is that the results are permanent. Once the extra fat is removed from your lower cheeks, it’s gone for good.

Can Buccal Fat Removal Address Asymmetry In The Cheeks?

If the area of asymmetry in your face is more pronounced in the lower part of your cheeks, your buccal fat pads are likely the cause, and you can achieve a more symmetrical look with buccal fat removal. In this case, more fat would be removed from the side of your face with a larger buccal fat pad so your cheeks appear more even. If the asymmetry is in the upper part of your cheeks, however, this is likely caused by the bone structure of your cheekbones and would be better addressed with dermal fillers or cheek implants.

Do I Need To Address Buccal Fat Pads Or Jowls?

Buccal fat is the fullness in the cheeks, often called “chipmunk cheeks” or “chubby cheeks.” Jowls are the sagging fat along the jawline that starts to form with age. Buccal fat usually slims down with age, while jowls increase and become more noticeable.

If your concern is the jowl area rather than buccal fat, it’s best to address them with a face and neck lift and neck liposuction. Combining one of these procedures with buccal fat removal can give you excellent results if you have concerns with jowls and buccal fat.

Is Buccal Fat Removal The Best Option For Slimming Down The Face?

If the area of fullness in your face lies in the space between your cheekbone and the jawline, buccal fat removal may be your best option for defining your lower face. The buccal fat pad is deep underneath the muscle in the lower cheek area. If you are concerned with superficial fat and excess skin in other facial areas, procedures such as liposuction would be more suitable. 

When done on suitable candidates and performed by an experienced plastic surgeon such as Dr. Gordon Kaplan in New Jersey, buccal fat removal can give impressive face-slimming results that no other procedure can achieve.

Is Buccal Fat Removal Right For Me?

If your “chubby cheeks” create a fullness to your face that makes you unhappy with your appearance, buccal fat removal can alleviate some of this fullness, according to Cleveland Clinic. If you relate to any of the following, it will likely be worth it for you to get buccal fat pad removal:

• You don’t like the appearance of fullness in the lower part of your cheeks
• You are otherwise healthy and at a stable weight
• You have a round, fuller face
• Your “chubby cheeks” are preventing you from achieving facial harmony
• You have realistic expectations
• You don’t smoke 

If you want to slim down your cheeks and create more harmony between them and the rest of your facial features, contact us to schedule a consultation with New Jersey plastic surgeon Dr. Gordon Kaplan, renowned for making patients confident in their newly contoured faces. From there, he and his team will see whether you’re a good fit for buccal fat removal.