Buccal Fat Removal Q&A
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Buccal Fat Removal a Good Option for Slimmer Face?

asked 2 years ago by cupcake26 in Minneapolis, MN, USA
Latest answer by Daniel Shapiro, MD
Question viewed 15,386 times
Tags: age 25-34, cheeks, face, female, fat reduction

Would I be a good candidate for buccal fat removal? I am a slim 26-year-old: 5'5" tall at 113 pounds. I am seeking options to slim my lower face.

Please look at my picture and share any thoughts. Thank you.

10 answers to Buccal Fat Removal a Good Option for Slimmer Face?

+8

Buccal fat pad excision is an excellent choice in the right patient

Buccal fat pad excision in the right patient is an excellent procedure. My fine colleagues are absolutely correct to worry about using the procedure willy nilly in every young patient with an overly full face in whom the natural history of their faces would eventually produce a beautiful face. However many patients simply have overly full faces in the lower cheek region. And they will have this for most of their life. The bulging buccal fat pads simply prevents their face from being... more
Brent Moelleken, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+5

Creating the Ogee curve

Chanel, Indeed, you have a rounded face. The short answer to your question is "yes". You are a candidate for buccal fat pad removal. It would help to create the "ogee" curve of the cheek that is aesthetically ideal. However, as you have already read, removal of the buccal fat at an early age may hasten an older appearance as you age. If you decide to proceed, make sure that the removal is performed conservatively, i.e. not the entire pad is removed, only it's outer... more
Kenneth R. Francis, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+3

Buccal fat removal will slim your face

You are a good candidate for a buccal fat removal. It will slim your face between the cheeks, lips and jaw. It will give you the apperance as if you were sucking lightly on a straw.
Luis A. Vinas, MD

West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon
+3

Buccal Fat Removal Best Done Subtly

Buccal fat removal can remove some of the volume of the mid face. It should be performed conservatively so that an overly guant apearence is avoided.The results are subtle and you must be accepting of this. In my opinion liposuction of the face does not yield smooth results and really should be limited to the jowl and neck.
Thomas Buonassisi, MD

Vancouver Facial Plastic Surgeon
+2

Caution against Buccal Fat Removal

Having a full face and round cheeks is a sign of youth. Simply do a bit of research to see what concerns women in their 30's and 40's are looking to correct...Volume Loss is at the top of the list. You will find that over the next 5-15 years your cheeks and lower face will thin and you will have the desired (more chiseled) look you are wanting. If you choose buccal fat removal in your early 20's, you may be happy with the result for the next few years- BUT you will be... more
Ross A. Clevens, MD

Melbourne Facial Plastic Surgeon
+2

Buccal fat pad excision

I amnot a big fan of buccal fat pad excisions in the majority of patients, because it can cause a gaunt look as you age.  This will make you look older than your actual age.
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+2

Is buccal fat removal a good option for slimmer face?

Not really. Buccal fat pad excision - or as we refer to it as the fat pad of Bichat - is indicated in people who have moon like faces (as you may see with some Koreans and Chinese) as well as in people with Cushinoid faces. In such individuals, only the removal of the fat pads gives the face the more attractive, upside down pear or tapered look. The problem is that with time, we ALL LOSE FAT IN OUR FACES. We begin to have exposure of the lower rims of the eye sockets and our cheek bones... more
Peter A. Aldea, MD

Memphis Plastic Surgeon
+2

Bucal fat pad removal is old fashioned

Most reputable plastic surgeons dispensed with the idea of buccal fat pad removal many years ago. The concern is that it will have a very negative effect on how your face will look as you get older. Remember that very often we add volume to aging faces to make them look younger. Removing that volume from your face might be a very big mistake.
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Would recommend patient wait a bit longer

Hi there, at age 26 I would recommend waiting another 18 to 24 months to see if any aging occurs that results in the slimming of the face. It is possible for a young patient's face to change dramatically in a two year period as they approach age 30. Right now, your face looks youthful with excellent skin quality and a unique feminine look. I would highly encourage you to wait and/or experiment with makeup application to highlight/contour the cheekbones before making this surgical... more
Daniel Shapiro, MD

Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon
+1

Buccal Fat extraction

Buccal fat extraction is an option for thinning the lower portion of the face when no ohter options exist. It should be performed in those individuals who recognise that it might produce a "gaunt" appearance as you age. Patients with a tendency to have fuller faces as they age may benefit from this option.
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

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