What makes someone a good candidate for buccal fat pad removal?

A good candidate for buccal fat pad removal typically has noticeable fullness in the lower cheeks that does not improve with weight loss and contributes to a rounder facial appearance. The ideal candidate also has well-defined bone structure, such as strong cheekbones, which can be enhanced by removing some of the fat. However, people with naturally thin or aging faces may not be ideal candidates, as removing buccal fat can result in a hollowed, older appearance over time.

In your case, if you’re concerned about subtle heaviness without "chipmunk cheeks," a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon can help assess whether buccal fat removal would enhance your facial contours or if another procedure, such as cheek contouring, may be more suitable. The key is balancing fat removal with preserving facial volume to avoid an overly hollow look.

Stuart3,
A good candidate for buccal fat removal typically has fullness in the lower cheeks and high cheekbones. This combination often leads to excellent results post-procedure.
The varying outcomes you mentioned, especially among celebrities, can be attributed to several factors. One major factor is the amount of fat removed. Removing too much fat can result in an unappealing look in certain patients (Although in other patients, removal of 100% of the buccal fat pad is exactly what they need to achieve the desired outcome.) . Additionally, overuse of cheekbone and lip fillers can contribute to a less natural appearance.
For those with minor fullness in the lower cheeks, the goal is to remove just enough fat to achieve the desired look while maintaining a balanced and aesthetically pleasing outcome.
Hope this helps!
John Mesa

Fullness in the lower face can come from a variety of factors, from the masseter muscle, to your bone, and jowls and soft tissue, and yes buccal fat that sometime goes down with gravity. Likely a combination of things to address all of this issues will help with the heavy lower face problem. I have to at least see pictures to comment more.