Slimming face/buccal fat removal. What injections are the best to fix the issue? (photos)

Buccal fat excision is an appropriate surgical procedure for patients that of overly full and wide cheek areas. In common terms, it is good for patients who have chipmunk cheeks. In reviewing your pictures, is difficult to tell if you're a good candidate because your cheek area is slightly full but not overly full. You are a patient that would need an in person consultation for a complete evaluation and explanation of the positives and negatives of this procedure in your situation. I hope this helps.

Treatment of ‘chubby cheeks’ cannot be achieved alone with buccal fat pad removal; a fact that I encounter time and time again when seeing patients in consultation for lower facial sculpting. My approach is to use a combined protocol that redefines aesthetic contours of the face. This includes the following:

 

Buccal Fat Pad Removal
Non-surgical Muscle-Fascia Tightening
Venus Legacy or Venus Viva
Ultherapy
Submental Liposuction or Coolsculpting
 

The combined approach is ideal. Buccal fat pad removal is a exceptional procedure that can remove excess fat from the cheek pads. Using an intraoral approach, a small incision is carried through the mucosa to remove a small fat pad within the cheek. Closure of the incisions is minimal with an absorbable suture and patients will experience some swelling post-operatively. We use SwellX tablets post treatment. Once healed, the contour of the cheek is improved and we begin Non-invasive tissue tightening to further enhance results.

 

Best,

Dr. Karamanoukian

Realself100 Surgeon

Hello abbyx3,
It’s a pleasure to answer your questions! Based on your pictures, you seem to be a good candidate for buccal fat pad removal combined with Botox injections to masseter muscle, for a more sculpted facial appearance. Buccal fat removal, also known as buccal lipectomy, is a simple and very safe 1-hour face contouring procedure, indicated for patients with a rounded and wide face. The goal of buccal fat removal surgery is to thin the cheeks, specifically in the area of the cheek hollows, resulting in a harmonious middle and lower third of face. This procedure can be safely performed in-office, under local anesthesia with sedation. Downtime is typically 24-48 hours, which make this facial plastic surgery very convenient to my patients. I usually recommend combining buccal fat removal surgery with neurotoxin injections (Botox, Dysport or Xeomin) to masseter muscle to achieve slimmer, more contoured cheeks plus a chiseled jaw line. Injecting botulinum toxin into the masseter muscle is an excellent and safe nonsurgical option to reduce the size of the muscle, resulting in a desirable oval face. Consult with an experienced plastic surgeon to assess your candidacy for buccal fat removal and Botox injections and discuss your specific needs and cosmetic goals. Best wishes! Dr. De La Cruz. 

Patients who would like to achieve a thin and chiseled, V-shape facial look could benefit from buccal fat removal, specially if they have a normal body weight.
Buccal fat removal by exactly removing the fat pockets from the lower anterior cheeks helps to correct the chubby cheeks. 
No injection like Kybella can achieve the results of buccal fat removal. The buccal fat pads are deep structures int he lower anterior cheek. Applying Kybella to the lower anterior cheeks to try to achieve a slimmer face could damage the nerves of the face, which could potentially result in permanent paralysis of the face. Kybella is only FDA approved for reduction of the fat located under the chin (aka double chin).
The video below helps to understand who could be a candidate for buccal fat removal.