You’re not alone if you’ve observed a significant increase in the number of celebrities and influencers who have developed sky-high cheekbones that narrow into a razor-sharp jawline. Also known as the “celebrity cheek surgery”, the buccal fat removal procedure is the trendiest work to get done for that model-esque look. But what’s the procedure like and what are the risks of it? Fret not, Beauty Insider has got you covered with everything you need to know about buccal fat removal if you’re considering getting it.

The premise is simple: by eliminating the buccal fat pads, which are fat pads in the mid-cheek area, you may expose a thinner, more contoured face. Consider Bella Hadid, whose image is frequently seen as an inspiration for the aesthetic. The end outcome varies, but it nearly usually includes pronounced cheek hollows that seem like you’re puckering your lips or blowing a whistle.

How Does The Procedure Work?

Buccal fat surgery is one of the less invasive and less time-consuming cosmetic procedures. It’s a quick and painless treatment that takes around 30 minutes and may be performed under local anaesthetic. However, because it is still surgery, it has risks and must be performed by a qualified clinician in a safe environment. A qualified plastic surgeon is aware that there are ducts and nerves entangled in the buccal fat, and that he or she must be extremely cautious not to harm them. 

Buccal fat removal is an outpatient treatment that does not require an overnight stay in the hospital. It can be done in a certified ambulatory facility or in a doctor’s office operating room.

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There are no visible scars since the incision is performed within the mouth. The buccal space is accessed with this incision. This gives access to the buccal fat pads in each cheek, which resemble a huge walnut. Some plastic surgeons, however, will remove the whole pad.

It’s more necessary to minimise and shape the buccal fat rather than completely eradicate it for a natural-looking face. Removing the whole pad may cause too much hollowing and a “sucking in” appearance under the cheekbones. The incisions will be closed with sutures regardless of whether the buccal fat is partially removed, entirely eliminated, or relocated.

How’s The Healing Process After Buccal Fat Removal?

Buccal fat surgery recovery is similar to the procedure itself in that it is rather brief. Swelling may occur for a week or two, which may be treated with ice packs. To avoid infection during the initial few days of recuperation, you may be given an oral rinse. For the first few days, you’ll probably need to adhere to a liquid diet, then graduate to soft foods when the stiffness goes away.

Oral antibiotics may be prescribed by certain surgeons to reduce the risk of infection. Although the swelling will hide your results at first, you’ll notice a difference within a few weeks. Because the swelling must completely recede, the ultimate outcome should be noticeable in three months or less.

Who Is A Good Candidate For Buccal Fat Removal?

Buccal Fat Removal – MSPRS

The ideal candidate has a natural excessive fullness or is experiencing the effects of the buccal fat pad falling down with age on face contour and jowls. A cosmetic surgeon is hesitant to agree to remove buccal fat from someone whose face already seems hollow since it might make them appear more “caved in” as they age. Everything comes down to the surgeon’s examination of the patient’s facial structure.

What Are The Risks?

Buccal Fat Removal - Edwin Kwon, MD, FACS

As previously stated, eliminating buccal fat from someone who is not a good candidate might result in an artificial, skeleton appearance. If the patient had the procedure at a younger age, the extreme hollowness may be visible after oedema has subsided or years later.

Buccal fat reduction is a long-term solution. To get the more contoured and slimming contour you desire, make sure the surgeon eliminates only the appropriate quantity of extra buccal fat. If you believe too much fat has been removed, fat grafting, in which fat cells from another part of your body are put back into your buccal cheek area, is your best alternative.

Because it must be taken out on both sides, it must be even, so ideally the surgeon gets it correctly the first time. Second, the surgeon must grasp how the buccal fat pad is connected to the facial nerve, and he or she must be careful not to injure it. The fat pad is connected to the duct-tubing, which permits salivary glands to enter the mouth. It can be harmed by someone who is inexperienced.