What is Buccal Fat Removal?
Babies with chubby cheeks are irresistible.
Adults with chubby cheeks?
The cuteness effect is not quite the same.
Excess cheek fat is a common problem for many adults. Fat in this area of the face can completely change your face shape and definition, causing you to not look like yourself anymore.
But you don’t have to live with chubbier than desirable cheeks.
How To Lose Face Fat
A procedure known as buccal fat pad removal has helped countless patients slim down in this area.
The word buccal refers to the cheek area on the face. The buccal fat pad is located below the cheekbones behind the buccinator muscle, which helps us chew and make facial expressions. Removing part or all of the buccal fat pad can drastically change the appearance of your face, reducing the puffy cheek look and restoring the definition and contouring that has been lost.
What You Should Know Buccal Fat Removal
What Is The Cause of Face Fat?
Weight gain is the most common cause of excess fat in the facial area.
Some people find they gain more weight in their faces than other areas of their bodies. This simply has to do with how many fat cells are stored in your face.
When you lose weight, you don’t lose fat cells; they simply shrink.
So, if you genetically have more fat cells in your face, when you gain weight, those cells will expand.
Sugar, alcohol consumption, and salt intake can also cause "face fat" where the face appears fatter because these foods and beverages cause cells to retain water, which can lead to bloating in the face.
Food intolerances such as gluten or dairy can also cause face fat as well as hormonal imbalances. Buccal fat removal would not necessarily be needed in these instances as facial bloating can often be rectified with a change in diet.
The natural bone structure in your face can also make it appear fuller. For example, if you have a round face, your cheeks may seem like they have excess fat, but it could simply be due to your genetic bone structure.
Is Buccal Fat Removal Right For Me?
The ideal candidate for buccal fat removal is someone who is unhappy with the look of their chubby cheeks, is a non-smoker, and is at a healthy weight.
Most people who opt for the buccal fat removal procedure fall into one of the following categories:
- They have chubby cheeks.
- Their face shape has been affected by aging.
- They have had a previous procedure performed on their jaw or chin that has affected their face shape.
- They have high cheekbones but sunken cheeks.
If you fall into one of the categories above, buccal fat removal could be right for you.
Is Buccal Fat Removal A Safe Surgery?
In general, buccal fat removal is a safe surgery, but as with any procedure, there are risks. Risks for buccal fat removal include:
- Facial nerve injury - (This is a rare complication since the buccal fat pad is removed via an intraoral approach instead of an extraoral approach. The procedure is performed through an incision in the mouth, not on the face, which minimizes injury to the facial nerve.)
- Uneven facial appearance
- Numbness
- Pain, even after the recovery period is over
- Bleeding
- Infection
Your oral surgeon will explain all your specific risk factors based on your overall health and existing facial appearance before you’re scheduled for surgery so that you are aware of and equipped for these potential complications.
How Does The Buccal Fat Procedure Work?
The buccal fat removal procedure requires either local anesthesia accomplished through intraoral injections or intravenous sedation, whichever is best for you, or whatever your surgeon recommends.
Your surgeon will make an incision on the inside of your mouth to surgically remove the fat pad. If the procedure is performed in conjunction with a facelift, the surgeon will remove the buccal fat pad without making an additional incision.
Once the incision has been made, and the fat pad is removed, your surgeon will suture the area of the incision with dissolvable stitches.
The procedure typically takes between 30 to 60 minutes. It is an outpatient procedure so that you can go home the same day with minimal downtime. If the procedure is performed under intravenous sedation, you need to arrange for a ride home.
Before your procedure, you will have a consultation with your oral and maxillofacial surgeon to discuss your goals for the surgery.
This part of the procedure, even though it occurs beforehand, is critical. Your surgeon will take photos and examine your face as well as evaluate your health and fitness for surgery. This is an excellent opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the surgery.
A list from PlasticSurgery.org provides vital questions to ask your Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon during your consultation on how to lose face fat.
What Will Buccal Fat Pad Removal Make Me Look Like?
Now that you've learned how to lose face fat, let's look at what buccal fat removal can do for you.
After you've recovered from your buccal fat pad removal and the swelling has gone down, you can expect your face to look more contoured or chiseled than it did before and your cheeks to appear less puffy or chubby.
This before-and-after will give you an idea of the difference buccal fat pad removal can make.
After you’ve recovered from your buccal fat pad removal and the swelling has gone down, you can expect your face to look more contoured or chiseled than it did before and your cheeks to appear less puffy or chubby.
This before-and-after will give you an idea of the difference buccal fat pad removal can make.
Of course, your results won’t look exactly like the image above, but you can expect a significant reduction in cheek fat. If you’re not happy with your results, a second surgery may be needed. This is why it’s essential to be as specific as possible during your consultation with your surgeon regarding how you want your face to look.
This will allow the oral and maxillofacial surgeon to set realistic expectations regarding your results. In certain instances where hypertrophy or, in other words, enlargement of masseter muscles are observed. Also, the addition of Botox treatment is discussed during the consultation to shrink the masseters over time to enhance the facial appearance and provide a more defined jaw line known as V-Shaped jaw line.
What Is Recovery Like for Buccal Fat Removal?
The downtime after a buccal fat pad surgery removal is relatively short, but you will experience some swelling for two to three weeks before seeing the results. The area inside the mouth where the incision is made can take up to 7 to 10 days to fully heal. Because of this, you will need to be on a soft-food diet for several days.
Buccal fat pad removal is a minimally invasive procedure via one incision through the mouth, which results in minimal discomfort during the recovery period.
Your oral and maxillofacial surgeon may prescribe pain medication to help alleviate your discomfort for the first few days, but any residual pain should subside within a week.