My face has always been broad, but I feel like it's gotten larger in the lower half of my face over the past few years. I have gained about 10lbs in that time and I've always thought that I must just gain fat in my face easily compared to other people until I did some research on TMJ and how jaw clenching can lead to a larger face.
March 26, 2018
Answer: Fat in the right places From your photos I would assess you likely have an combination of anatomical areas leading to what you would like to change. This is the most common case btw. Buccal fat removal and manipulation can be a great and transformational procedure in the right patient. Often times fat transfer in conjunction with this procedure is able to give a more “ideal” heart shaped face. Also, as you mentioned, overly strengthened masseter muscles can contribute to a widened lower third of the face. To treat the masseter hypertrophy we use botox. That can take some time though to reach effect. It may seem counterintuitive to add fat when you say your problem is chubby cheeks but what we do is add fat high in the cheeks to the side of the highest and most projected point of the cheek bone and taper it to the lower face. This helps to camouflage overly chubby cheeks. This is especially helpful in thin women and in combination with buccal fat pad removal is a powerful maneuver. All of this can be done in clinic with some calming medications and local anesthesia. I recommend getting a consult with a surgeon who does this procedure frequently to get a full facial analysis to make sure your specific goals are addressed. Hope this helps. Best of luck. DrC
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March 26, 2018
Answer: Fat in the right places From your photos I would assess you likely have an combination of anatomical areas leading to what you would like to change. This is the most common case btw. Buccal fat removal and manipulation can be a great and transformational procedure in the right patient. Often times fat transfer in conjunction with this procedure is able to give a more “ideal” heart shaped face. Also, as you mentioned, overly strengthened masseter muscles can contribute to a widened lower third of the face. To treat the masseter hypertrophy we use botox. That can take some time though to reach effect. It may seem counterintuitive to add fat when you say your problem is chubby cheeks but what we do is add fat high in the cheeks to the side of the highest and most projected point of the cheek bone and taper it to the lower face. This helps to camouflage overly chubby cheeks. This is especially helpful in thin women and in combination with buccal fat pad removal is a powerful maneuver. All of this can be done in clinic with some calming medications and local anesthesia. I recommend getting a consult with a surgeon who does this procedure frequently to get a full facial analysis to make sure your specific goals are addressed. Hope this helps. Best of luck. DrC
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Answer: Buccal Pad Thanks for your question and Pictures The buccal fat pad is a rounded mass of fat in the middle of your cheek. It’s located between facial muscles, in the hollow area beneath your cheekbone. The size of your buccal fat pads affects your face shape. Everyone has buccal fat pads. However, the size of buccal fat pads can vary greatly. If you have larger buccal fat pads, you might feel like your face is too round or full. You can be a candidate for a Buccal Pad removal surgery. Best of Luck
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Answer: Buccal Pad Thanks for your question and Pictures The buccal fat pad is a rounded mass of fat in the middle of your cheek. It’s located between facial muscles, in the hollow area beneath your cheekbone. The size of your buccal fat pads affects your face shape. Everyone has buccal fat pads. However, the size of buccal fat pads can vary greatly. If you have larger buccal fat pads, you might feel like your face is too round or full. You can be a candidate for a Buccal Pad removal surgery. Best of Luck
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