What Is Buccal Fat Pad Removal Surgery?

What Is Buccal Fat Pad Removal Surgery?

"Buccal fat pad excision, commonly known as buccal fat removal surgery, is starting to trend a bit, or at least causing a stir in the algorithms. It is a surgical procedure that is gaining popularity with some stars in Hollywood. "Surgery" and "trend" are often two words that should give us pause when used together. We will get into the reasons for that in a bit, but let’s first start with explaining what buccal fat is and why someone would want it surgically removed.

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"Surgery" and "trend" are often two words that should give us pause when used together. 

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In our cheeks we have what is called a buccal fat pad. It lies between the cheekbones and jaw bones. For some of us it can be quite thick and provide a cherubic look. For others it can be the opposite. Very thin buccal fat pads can give a gaunt look. From time to time this gaunt look comes back into fashion. 

The buccal fat pad can be altered via a combination of aesthetic contouring of the facial skeleton, facial liposculpture, and/or cervicofacialplasty. These procedures can make subtle to dramatic changes to one's face. Removal of fat can help draw the cheeks in giving desirable definition to the jaw line. It is a relatively quick procedure that can be accomplished under local anesthesia however, it isn’t reversible.

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Buccal fat pad excision is not reversible.

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That may sound well and dandy, however, there are many issues that come along with a procedure like this. First and foremost, surgical procedures carry a certain amount of permanence. If you are unhappy with the results or trends change, reversal of the procedure more often than not requires further surgical procedures.

Additionally, our bodies do not stay the same as we age and surgical procedures that we had when we were younger will not look the same. As we age collagen, fat, muscle and bone are lost from the face. The most common areas are the temples, brow, lips, and cheeks. When the cheeks sag, it makes the smile lines and tear troughs deepen. Fat and bone will also migrate to different parts of the face drastically changing its shape. As these inevitable steps of aging occur the results of previous surgical procedures will change. ​

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The buccal fat pad naturally disappears as we age. If fat from the pad is removed it can cause one to look prematurely aged and can even distort the face.

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The buccal fat pad is one of those things that naturally disappears as we age. If fat from the pad has already been removed it can cause one to look prematurely aged and can even distort the face. Attempting to get a more well defined jawline by having buccal fat pad excision in our twenties could result in additional surgeries to replace the fat with implants, or years of injecting dermal fillers. 

Dermal filler injected along the jawline or cheeks can create the same desired definition without the permanence or the price tag of surgery. The temporary nature of dermal fillers make them a great way to test if you are going to like the way you look.