One of the main areas of the country that seems to serve as an indicator of the popularity of a cosmetic procedure is Los Angeles (AKA Cosmetic Town). It is often considered to be an unofficial cosmetic surgery capital that helps to set beauty trends and styles across the country. One of the most popular trends in the past few years has been buccal fat pad removal and many celebrities have been suspected of having the treatment. Some of the celebrity names linked to buccal fat pad removal include Lea Michele, Gigi Hadid, Cardi B, and Kim Kardashian. Let’s take a look at how this procedure is performed and why it continues to be a popular cosmetic surgery option.
In general, buccal fat is the fat that is located between the cheekbones and the bones of the jaw. This fat helps to determine the shape of the face and the surgery is designed to remove the fat located in this area of the face. The removal of the fat will highlight the bone structure of the face including the hollowed-out areas that are located between the jawline and the cheeks.
Buccal fat pad removal, which is also known as buccal lipectomy, surgically extracts excess fat from the inside of the cheeks of the patient. The procedure reduces the look of larger and fuller cheeks that might look like “chipmunk cheeks” due to genetics or a significant weight gain. The surgery gives the facial structure a more defined look that is also more sculpted and symmetrical.
The surgery starts with the creation of a small incision inside the cheek. The small incision will be created on both sides of the mouth in order to expose the buccal fat pads. Gentle pressure will be placed on the outside of the cheeks so the buccal fat pad will be better exposed to the surgeon. The desired amount of fat will be cut by the doctor and then removed from the area. Once the desired amount of fat is cut and removed by the surgeon, the incisions will be closed with sutures.
Before the patient heads home, the surgeon will explain how to properly care for the incisions. The face will be swollen immediately after the surgery and there will be some bruising as well, but both of these conditions will resolve on their own. There might also be some numbness at the incision sites, but this will resolve as time passes and the body heals.
In addition, the patient will be on a liquid diet for a few days and will likely need to use a special mouthwash that can prevent an infection.
The healing time is normally around three weeks, but it can take several months for the final results to be visible as the cheeks need to settle into their new shape. The final results are permanent which means the removed fat will not grow back.
While buccal fat pad removal seems to be a popular treatment in Hollywood and across the country, not everyone is a fan of the procedure and the results it provides. For example, one X/Twitter user posted a photo of Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants and said, “This is what every single celebrity who gets buccal fat removal looks like. Sorry.”
Another person on X/Twitter expressed a feeling of frustration that the “babyface look” of one model was not being followed. “The buccal fat removal surgery epidemic is so upsetting cause why are the girlies not following the Devon Aoki blueprint. A top tier face. The CEO of hot girls with baby faces.”
One other person put a humorous spin on her thoughts about the surgery. “Ladies, do what I did and lose your buccal fat the natural way: through harrowing life experience that ages you prematurely, and leaves you looking perpetually gaunt and unslept. Why pay for invasive cosmetic surgery when you can achieve the same results with unceasing horrors.”
Finally, one person shared a concern about the surgery that seemed to be the same feeling shared by many others. This person asked exactly what buccal fat is and “how are they still inventing new flaws for us.”
Anyone who is concerned about the size of their cheeks can schedule an appointment with a board-certified and trained surgeon who is experienced in performing the procedure. The patient needs to be at a stable weight, physically healthy, and wanting to make a change in the look of their cheeks in order to be happy with their appearance.
The surgeon will examine the patient to determine if they are an ideal candidate for the treatment and that the person understands the results of buccal fat pad removal make a permanent change to the look of the cheeks.
- MA
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