Should I be worried about the gaunt look that can happen after buccal fat removal? (Photo)

A good surgeon should remove the right amount of buccal fat to prevent a gaunt appearance in the future. From your photos, you appear to be a suitable candidate for a buccal fat removal procedure as you seem to have fullness in your lower cheeks. I recommend seeing a board certified facial aesthetics specialist and discussing your options in person.

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

You might be worried if you have weak cheek bones and buccal fat removal is performed without enhancing the cheek bones. 
Buccal fat removal is the plastic surgery procedure that corrects permanently the fullness of the lower anterior cheeks ( chubby cheeks) caused by enlarged buccal fat removal. Buccal fat removal helps to achieve a more think slender and youthful facial look inpatients candidates (who have good prominent high cheek bones).
The results of buccal fat removal depends on the cheek bones. Cheek bones are the foundation of a youthful face. Good prominent cheek bones prevent sagging of the skin after buccal fat removal. Therefore if the cheek bones are week, they shall be enhanced before or with the buccal fat removal (usually with soft tissue fillers like voluma) in order to prevent a post surgical gaunt look. 

Avoiding the gaunt look is best achieved by patient selection.  Family history and detailed information about facial appearance with weight changes can help determine likely outcomes.    Key steps to consider are:
-make sure you are a good candidate- check your genetic history of fat loss and your current/ideal weight to see
-chose a facial expert- in experienced hands, buccal fat removal can be done efficiently in an office setting with minimal downtime.  buccal fat is surrounded by critical anatomical structures of the face- choose a facial expert.
Best Dr. Anil Shah

Overresection, paired with fat loss that occurs with normal facial aging, can lead to a gaunt/too thin appearance. I perform buccal fat reduction (not complete excision) to lessen the likelihood of this. A conservative approach is best (much like treatment for lower eyelid fat), as this procedure yields permanent results. 

Thank you for your question as well as providing a photo. This kind of question is one that would need to be answered based on a in-person consultation. The goal is to ensure the area of concern is truly buccal fat and that removing it will give you the results you are looking for. With that being said, you do have a full face and if your goal is to get a more chiseled appearance removing buccal fat will be a great option in reaching that goal. If you had little volume in the cheeks, temples, etc. I would definitely recommend fat grafting to those areas to reduce the risk of a gaunt appearance but I do not believe that will be a post-op concern for you. Visit a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to discuss the procedure in more detail. Good luck and best wishes!