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Could Facial Liposuction Help with my Cheeks?

asked 2 years ago by Sen
Latest answer by Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
Question viewed 1,806 times
Tags: age 25-34, cheeks, female

I have overly thick pads of fat at the "front" of my cheeks; when I diet I lose from the "back", around my cheekbones, but never at the front. I hate the way they look, and also the way they feel; they seem to retain water at times, and then they feel "swollen", although their appearance doesn't change much. I'm well within my ideal weight range, and don't want to lose much more. Both my parents have heavy, jowly faces, so I'm pretty sure I know where this is going eventually. 28, female. Any suggestions?

22 answers to Could Facial Liposuction Help with my Cheeks?

Cheek liposuction works for some patients

It is very difficult to tell from your photo about the amount of fat you have in your face. Liposuction with the micro canulas do nice to remove isolated fat areas under local anesthesia of the face.

David Hansen, MD
Beverly Hills Dermatologic Surgeon

www.DrDavidHansen.com

Liposuction of the cheeks should be done with caution

When I look at your photo of the cheek area, the area of fullness is the upper middle part of the cheek, and generally here liposuction needs to be done very cautiously because obviously there is a lot of nerves that run underneath the skin surface. Also, Facial Liposuction needs to be done very carefully because you can get more contour irregularities of the cheeks, i.e. indentations in that area. Occasionally the area right above the smile line, in some people can be very... more

Usha Rajagopal, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

www.sfcosmeticsurgery.com

Liposuction of the face and cheeks

I would advise against facial fat liposuction, as there are unecessary risks with surgery. Dimpling and dynamic contour irregularities can cause secondary deformity. Stick with tried and true techniques.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Full frontal cheeks

You should schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. You might get referred to them via a physician who takes care of you. If your volume were indeed fat, and you have it removed, you might be unhappy when you're older and you can't maintain a young appearance because of the hollowness of the cheeks. Liposuction might create problems in the face which are not common elsewhere, such as nerve injury, parotid duct injury or irregular indentations. If it is done, it should... more

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

Hard to see if there is an issue from this photograph

The photo you have provided with your face in a full smile bunching up the cheek fat. You honestly look great in this picture. It would be much more useful to have a photograph of you with your face at rest. Facial liposuction can be performed in a very focal manner. It is important to recognize that not all fat in the face is bad. I would also agree that you don't have a lot of weight to loose. My best advice is to be careful what you look for because you might just find it. What I... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Liposuction of the cheeks is seldom indicated.

In your photo, you're smiling which makes evaluation impossible. I almost never suction cheeks because loss of fat with age occurs and suctioning it makes little sense. Sometimes the buccal fat pad can be decreased in size but these are very unusual cases.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction of the cheeks.

Fuller cheeks often give a youthful look to the face. As we age we often loose facial fat and this contributes to an aged look. I would be very hesitant to try to remove fat from your cheeks.

Michael Philbin, MD
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

Surgical sculpting of the face

Correction of full cheek can definitely be achieved with a well planned and executed surgery. Liposuction of the cheek areas needs to be done in a precise fashion, so as not to produce irregularities of the cheeks. This area is very unforgiving and requires expertise and experience to achieve the desired result. In addition, on occasion a very specific area of the cheek, buccal fat pad, needs to be addressed. Make sure that your surgeon carefully assesses your... more

Boris M. Ackerman, MD
Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.doctorackerman.com

Facial liposuction is to be avoided

Liposuction along neck and jawlines can be very satisfying in bringing about neck tightening and contouring. However, liposuction of cheeks or anywhere else on the face is not advisable for risk of nerve injury. In addition, the ideal complexion is one that has fuller volume along the upper 1/2 of the face which you currently have. You may have regret in a couple years if you have excess facial subcutaneous tissue removed, e.g. buccal fat pad removal, as hollow cheeks can be a sign of... more

William Ting, MD
Bay Area Dermatologic Surgeon

Different options in facial contouring

Liposuction is a popular and effective way to contour the body. However, for the areas of your cheeks liposuction is not recommended. Your best bet is to work with a board-certified plastic surgeon who has a great deal of experience in facial rejuvenation, cheek lifts, face lifts and dermal fillers. They will be able to examine your face and determine which combination of treatments will help you meet your aesthetic goals.

B. Pat Pazmino, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Facial fat removal

You look pretty good to me! I would avoid facial fat liposuction in a patient without significant facial fat. Often times in 5-10 years, these same patients will look hollowed out or old looking after liposuction of this area.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Facial liposuction for cheeks

Your smiling photo bunches up your cheeks making my assessment difficult. Youare young and there is usually greater fullness in the region of the cheeks in younger people. Nevertheless, barring any unusual medical problems, the contour of your cheek is most likely your inherited anatomical trait. I do not feel that there are any good beneficial treatments to reduce fullness of the cheeks. I do not feel that facial liposuction makes any significant improvement in reducing the fullness of... more

Sigmund L. Sattenspiel, MD
Freehold Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facial fat removal

Based on your photo, I would not recommend anything for you- your cheeks appear youthful and attractive. An exam without smiling, however might better show the areas you are concerned about. Liposuction in the face is possible, but not recommended in someone like you. It must be performed very carefully and in my opinion, rarely has a place except in the neck, where it is often utilized. Some patients with excessively full faces benefit from removal what is called buccal fat- a pad of... more

Adam David Lowenstein, MD
Santa Barbara Plastic Surgeon

Chubby cheeks

I don't think that liposuction of those cheeks will be the safest and most effective way. I would suggest that you consider fat pad removal from an intra-oral apporach.

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction of cheeks almost never a good idea.

Hi. 1) You have a nice face and you need to respect your anatomy, even if it is not your absolute ideal. 2) Liposuction not the answer. 3) Higher cheekbones can give the illusion of less fullness in front. This can be achieved with Juvederm at the level of the bone or with Juvederm under the skin.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction of the cheek, more risk than reward

Liposuction in the neck is very helpful to improve contour, however facial liposuction or suctioning in the cheek is more likely to cause problems than help. I know others may disagree. The trouble caused by removing facial fat is that the hollow contributes to facial aging. As we age we continue to lose facial fat as the skin thins and becomes lax, and fat removal prematurely can accelerate the process. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Facial Liposuciton

Yes, facial liposuction is often helpful for full cheeks. Thanks for posting the picture. However, it is best to post a non-smiling picture to evaluate the soft tissue of the cheeks. Also, depending on your examination, a buccal fat pad excision may also be helpful. It all really depends on your anatomy. Good luck.

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Cheek liposuction is not a good procedure

With your smiling photo, I can't really tell what you look like but please skip the idea of cheek liposuction. There is not enough thickness of the tissues there to keep the cannula deep enough to avoid contour irregularities without getting down to the layer where the facial nerve branches are at risk of injury.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction is not good for the cheeks at your age.

The fat in your cheeks helps to fill out the skin so it does not sag. You might do with a filler such as Radiesse in your creases to make the cheeks look better.

Toby Mayer, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Worry about the future in the future

Based on the picture you have a well proportioned face and I do not see any area that would benefit from liposuction. Your parents faces have probably gone through the normal stages of aging and in all likelihood so will you. Those problems should be dealt with at that time.

Walter D. Gracia, MD
Arlington Plastic Surgeon

Full cheeks and what to do with them!

You appear young and I would expect are very healthy. Any unusual swelling in the face should first be evaluated to exclude the possibility of medical disease such as sinus congestion, thyroid disorders, etc. Generally the area you describe is not well managed with liposuction and I would urge caution in this regard. Buccal fat extraction may diminish the tendency for a "jowly" appearance but this should be discussed after a full examination and review of the risks, both short and... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Fat cheeks

Unfortunately, smiling distorts the underlying anatomy so it is impossible to tell what you are exactly referring to. While facial liposuction is possible, it must be undertaken judiciously, carefully, and conservatively. Over-suctioning is very difficult to correct.