Faces come in all shapes and sizes. While some patients have a long, thin face with narrow features, others have a far fuller shape, often with rounded cheeks. When you carry a little extra fat on your face, it can help you to look a little younger. Nevertheless, if you have particularly chubby cheeks, you may feel self-conscious or embarrassed about your appearance. Cosmetics can help to give the appearance of narrower, more contoured cheeks, but if you are after a permanent solution, buccal fat pad excision can help.

What is buccal fat pad excision?

It may not be the most well-known form of cosmetic surgery, but a procedure known as buccal fat excision is fast becoming an extremely popular treatment. Buccal fat excision, or buccal fat removal surgery as it is often referred to, is a procedure that is designed to remove excess fat from the cheeks, particularly in the area known as the ‘hollows’, so that patients can enjoy greater definition of their cheekbones and chin. This excess fat is known as the buccal fat pad.

The buccal fat pad is an area of naturally occurring fat that is located in the hollows of the cheeks. It extends from the upper mid-face to adjacent to the mouth. Exactly how large the buccal fat pad is can vary between patients, and some people may even have one that is much larger in one cheek than another. This can lead to some asymmetry of the face. It is also possible for gravity to cause the volume of the fat bad to shift downwards, causing an accumulation of fat at the bottom of the pad and leading to a small bulge in the lower part of the face.

How is a buccal fat pad excision performed?

A buccal fat pad excision is usually carried out under local anesthetic, which means that you are in no discomfort and entirely awake and aware. However, if you are particularly nervous or anxious about the procedure, it may be possible for you to be sedated.

Once you are suitably anesthetized, your mouth will be help open using a special device and a small incision will be made into the soft tissue near the second upper molar. Our surgeon, Dr. Matarasso will then separate the tissue fibers in order to access the fat pad. Once it can be seen, we can open the casing containing the fat and remove the fat, cauterizing it at the base to prevent bleeding. The incision can then be closed, and the wound left to heal.

As you might expect, some swelling and soreness in the days after your procedure are completely normal. You will be given medication to help with your discomfort, and you may be given antibiotics to reduce your risk of infection. It can take up to three months for the final result of your buccal fat pad extraction to be visible.

If you are unhappy with the size of your cheeks and would like to embrace a more contoured facial shape, buccal fat pad excision may be a suitable solution to help you achieve your goal. Contact us today to schedule your confidential cosmetic consultation.