What, if Anything, Should I Do About my Chubby Cheeks? (photo)

Question

Hi, I'm 38 and I'm really tired of people commenting on my cheeks. When I look at pictures from the neck up I look 20, 30, or more pounds larger than I am. I have a round face and I look like a number of family members. In fact, my sisters and I all look alike only I have the cheeks. I have put my time in waiting for my face to thin and it hasn't...I've only gotten better with my contouring and highlighting. What's the best course of action? I want to look natural.

Benjamin Caughlin, MD, FACS · Answer

I agree. You are thin and your face is more round. There are many reasons for this but speficially 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. This can make a significant difference in patients as a combo. It may seem counterintuitive to add fat when you say your problem is chubby cheeks. What we do is add fat around 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

John Mesa, MD · Answer

Patients with significant fullness of the lower anterior cheeks (chubyy cheeks) are usually excellent candidates for buccal fat removal. 
Buccal fat removal is the plastic surgery procedure that permanently removes the fullness of the lower anterior cheeks, thus giving the face a more thin and chiseled appearance. Patient sixth hight cheek bones, no mater the age, are usually excellent candidates for the procedure. 
The video below helps to understand who could be a candidate for buccal fat removal.

Omar Lazos, MD · Answer

When a patient has a full and round face and despite weight loss the fullness persist or if the patient is in his normal weight and the chipmunk faces has stayed all the time, a bichectomy or buccal fat pad removal is useful. It´s true that with aging the buccal fat pad tends to diminish in volume do to atrophy, but if the volume is excessive a bichectomy will not hollow the cheek overtime. Many patients are happy with the results, a proper selection is a very important manner. Usually the procedure takes less than 30 min and you can go homethe same day. You'll be able to go back to work on the 3rd day post-op but 1 week off would be more comfortable.  Best regards

Thomas Buonassisi, MD · Answer

As we age we tend to lose fat in the face. If you are clearly not experiencing this then you may consider removing some of the fat surgically. The only fat removal in my experience that looks natural is removal of the buccal fat. This fat lies deep to the skin and its removal creates and narrowing of the lower cheeks without any risk of surface irregularities that would result from liposuction in the area. The results are subtle but safe. Something to consider.

Karan Chopra, MD · Answer

Yes, you would benefit from Buccal Fat Removal and probably reduction of your masseters to reduce the chubbiness and give an improved V shape appearance. The masseter reduction is a subtle change that will really help slim out the back part of your lower face. See an expert.

Raj S. Ambay, MD · Answer

Buccal fat pad reduction is a procedure that is not commonly performed but can make sense in the right patient. It is important to understand the anatomy before undergoing the surgery so that you are well informed. Normal aging reduces the buccal fat pad volume. It is true that some people have more volume in their cheeks than others. However, it is also universally true that that volume will decrease and descend over time. Removing too much buccal fat can cause premature aging. It is also important to remember that replacing fat that has been removed is extraordinarily difficult if not impossible. The main reason is the location of the buccal fat pad. It usually resides underneath a large muscle that is responsible for majority of the power motions of your chewing. Once that fat is removed that space collapses. Once collapsed it is very difficult to find the exact space and to reinsert a substance such as a filler or better yet fat. One potential solution is to use something like Sculptra. While I generally do not advocate buccal fat pad removal, I understand why somewhat would want procedures such as this. I tried to choose my patients very carefully and I also tried to be conservative in the amount of fat that is removed. Surgeons who trivialized this procedure simply don’t understand how difficult it is to correct deformities that may occur. The cost of the procedure can run anywhere from $3000-$7000, depending upon your geographic locale. Please visit with an experienced board certified plastic surgeon. My best advice is to always be conservative with any buccal fat pad reduction.

Leonard T. Yu, MD · Answer

You are fortunate to have fat in your cheeks...in general people with more fat in their face tend to look younger than people who have lost a lot of facial fat...buccal fat removal could give you more a desirable heart shaped face if done properly...it should highlight the upper cheek contours by giving more definition to the low light lower cheek region...

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