Chubby face but not overweight. What can be done to give me a more attractive face?

Question

I have lost a bit of weight (80 lbs) and now weigh in at 115 lbs and i’m 5’4”. I thought the big chubby face would slim down but not as I wanted. I still have these massive chubby cheeks and my face looks so puffy and large. Deep nasolabial folds and wide cheeks and jaw. I think my lower face is to long and wide. That combined with my small eyes and big nose do not look good. I’ve looked in to buccal fat pad removal but do not think that’s the only thing that I need. Please help me.

John Mesa, MD · Answer

Asian background patients with chubby cheeks could benefit from. buccal fat removal to correct chubby cheeks and achieve a slimmer facial look. 
If a patient already have already deep nasolabial  folds, it strongly suggest the patient has weak cheek bones. In those cases, the patient must enhance the cheek bones before or the same day of the buccal fat removal to achieve a chiseled youthful facial look. I usually recommend to enhance the cheek bones with Voluma, hyaluronic acid soft tissue filler that usually lasts for up to 2 years.
The video below helps to understand who could be a candidate for buccal fat removal.

Roger Tsai, MD · Answer

Great question!  Depending on your goals, a buccal lipectomy can help improve your facial shape by shrinking down the lower cheek region.  By doing this, the jawline and the cheeks become more defined and contoured.  Another treatment to think about is Botox to the posterior jawline as this will also help slim the face from a more squared to a more oval appearance on the frontal views.  However, it is always best to have an in person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon so that your goals are reviewed and the best treatment recommended.
Best of luck and hope this information helps!
- Dr. Roger Tsai  @DrRogerTsai
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Omar Lazos, MD · Answer

The bichectomy or buccal fat pad removal is a minimal invasive procedure that usually takes place in a doctor’s office (doesn´t take longer than 20 minutes). Removing this fat pad strategically gives a sharper, chiseled and more symmetric appearance. Good candidates are patients that despite losing weight or are in their normal weigh, the volume in their cheeks area is still prominent. Combining this with chin lipo has a very powerful result. This will improve your jawline making it look more chiseled. The procedure is highly bearable with local anesthesia which is injected inside the mouth at the level of the second upper molar. At this site a small puncture incision is made and it’s carefully dissected so that no neighboring structures (nerves or vessels) are damaged until the pad is found. Once the pad is found it is pulled to the oral cavity to remove it under direct vision, thus not harming any other structures. The incision heals by itself and closes by the 4-5 day, and no sutures are needed. Factors that influence results are: amount of buccal fat pad removed (average amount is 3 cc, the size of a chestnut), healing process, wound retraction, overall tissue (amount of facial muscle and skin). The results start to show after the swelling begins to fade away, usually at 1-month post op and the end results at 3 months postop. Search for a certified plastic surgeon to do this procedure that may seem not difficult but carries risks for complications. The most common complication although rare is hematoma that is related to efforts in the immediate 3 days postop. Hematoma is a self-limiting complication that besides the size of the swelling it always resolves (takes 1 week to get better). Other complications are: infection, facial nerve damage and salivary gland duct or Stenon duct.

Ali Gurlek, MD · Answer

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

Sagar Patel, MD · Answer

Hi,
When you have weight loss of almost 50% of your body weight (congrats); plastic surgery requires a complex analysis that I would say needs to be done in person or over a detailed video conference. That being said there could be a combination of things from leftover buccal fat to loose skin to a baseline wide bony structure. All these require different treatments but the end goal is what is most important. Hope that helps!

Chubby face but not overweight. What can be done to give me a more attractive face?

Answers (5)

Answer: Buccal Pad

Answer: Buccal Pad

Answer: Buccal Lipectomy

Answer: Buccal Lipectomy

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Everything you need to know about Buccal Fat Removal

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Chubby face but not overweight. What can be done to give me a more attractive face?

Answers (5)

Answer: Buccal Pad

Answer: Buccal Pad

Answer: Buccal Lipectomy

Answer: Buccal Lipectomy

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Buccal Fat Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.