Full and rounded cheeks are often associated with vitality and health. However, excessive roundness can lead to dissatisfaction with facial contours for some individuals. Fortunately, there's a solution: buccal fat pad removal. This minimally invasive procedure involves extracting a small amount of fat from the inside of the cheeks. While it may be appealing to those desiring a more defined, slimmer appearance, it's crucial to recognize that this procedure isn't suitable for everyone. If you find yourself fixating on excessive roundness when you look in the mirror, buccal fat pad removal may be worth considering.
What is a buccal fat removal surgery?
A surgical technique known as buccal lipectomy, or buccal fat removal, is performed to provide the appearance of more defined and slimmer cheeks. The goal of the procedure is to remove the buccal fat pads, which are fat deposits that lie behind the face's muscles and beneath the cheekbones. Buccal fat pads lose volume with age, in contrast to normal fat tissue that lies beneath the skin. However, some people have buccal fat pads that are overly immense for their faces, mainly because of genetic reasons. This can be especially the case when compared to other fat deposits in the body.
People with big buccal pads may benefit from a buccal lipectomy, a technique that helps to generate a more contoured and slender look of the cheeks and provides more symmetry to the face. This is because buccal pad tissue is often resistant to diet and exercise.
Depending on the circumstances of each case, the relatively straightforward buccal fat removal surgery might take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes to complete. It can be carried out under general or local anaesthesia. No visible scars are left behind because the incisions are made from the inside of the cheeks. Furthermore, the removal of the buccal fat pads is not too difficult because they have little structural connection to the surrounding structures. It should be noted that the buccal fat pads are never completely removed because doing so could leave the face looking hollow.
Can other surgeries be combined with buccal fat removal?
Buccal lipectomy is commonly combined with other facial surgical operations in order to get the desired result of a more young and natural-looking face. As a result, buccal fat removal may be combined with:
- A facelift is a surgery used to reduce ageing signs in the neck and facial areas.
- Middle facelift: this specific procedure addresses ageing in the cheeks and lower eyelids.
- Blepharoplasty, sometimes referred to as eyelid surgery, is a procedure used to treat drooping eyelids.
- A neck lift is a surgical procedure that aims to improve the appearance of the neck by removing extra skin, muscle tissue, or fat.
- A treatment called "chin augmentation" is used to improve and reshape the chin's look.
Contacting your plastic surgeon for advice on the best combination to consider is the best course of action if you're thinking about combining any of these procedures.
Who is a suitable candidate for buccal fat removal surgery?
- If you have a round face because of huge buccal pads, a buccal lipectomy can be the best option for you. An expert face surgeon will decide this. Overdeveloped jaw muscles or regular fat accumulation can cause the cheeks to seem convex.
- Furthermore, if you had setback mandibuloplasty (a reduction of the jaw or chin) and it left your cheeks looking overly puffed, buccal fat removal surgery might be necessary.
- Not to mention, ideal candidates should be in good health overall and at a constant weight; any intentions to lose weight in the future could potentially affect the outcome of the buccal lipectomy.
Recovery
When compared to the recovery following numerous other cosmetic treatments, buccal fat removal surgery recovery is easier. Nevertheless, if general anaesthesia is used for the procedure, an overnight stay at the clinic may be necessary. In addition, you should expect some degree of swelling, which may persist for a week or less. If you want to reduce the swelling, you can put ice on your cheeks. A liquid diet for a few days and the use of specific mouth rinses are additional guidelines that must be followed following buccal fat removal surgery in order to prevent infection at the incision sites. Additional oral or topical drugs that lower discomfort or lower the risk of infection may be prescribed by your surgeon. The surgeon may additionally advise bandaging the buccal area to increase pressure, depending on your particular situation. In conclusion, keep in mind that your skin needs time to settle, so the effects of buccal fat removal may not become fully apparent for up to three months.
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