We all know that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. However, in general, an attractive face or a face which most often gets a second look is usually oval in shape with thin cheeks.
Yes! A procedure called buccal fat removal can help you to achieve thin cheeks and hence an oval face.
Around 20-25 ml of fat exists in the region of both the cheeks which is responsible for their chubby or bulky appearance. Following the procedure, it takes about a month for the face to start appearing lean or oval, which is considered much more attractive than the chubby cheeks.
No, in facial liposuction, the fat which is just below the skin layer is removed. In buccal fat removal, the deeper pad of fat is removed from inside the mouth. The procedure is performed on both the cheeks, keeping in mind the other anatomical structures, like the parotid gland duct. An opening is created inside the mouth on each side and 20-25 ml of fat is removed, which is a completely different concept from facial liposuction.
Yes, buccal fat removal requires a highly skilled surgeon. It can be carried out under local anesthesia with sedation, however, the best option would be General Anesthesia.
Not at all. A buccal fat removal surgery is always performed from inside the mouth. No incision is made on the face and hence, no stitches are given.
If you are the recipient of comments about your chubby cheeks, or you feel you have bulky cheeks and you want to get rid of them, or if you do not like the shape of your face since it is round and you feel an oval shaped face is more attractive, then you are the perfect candidate for buccal fat removal.
Buccal fat removal is not considered to be a major surgery. No hospitalization is required one can walk into the clinic in the morning hours and probably in 6 to 8 hours one can go back to the home.
Usually you can see a massive difference in the size of your cheeks when buccal fat pad removal surgery is performed, but generally it takes a few weeks to notice a change. This is because following a surgical procedure, there is always some amount of swelling present due to surgical trauma. It takes approximately 3 to 6 weeks for this swelling to settle down, so the effect of surgery is best visualized after 3-6 weeks.
Unlike in abdominal liposuction, the buccal fat pad cannot grow again. It is a permanent procedure and the result is long lasting as it is a surgical procedure.
The cost is variable, depending on a number of factors, like the experience of the surgeon, the hospital you choose for the procedure, any existing medical problems.
The cost in India is upwards of 45,000 INR.
Does any prior workup need to be done if I want to undergo buccal fat removal?
Yes. There are certain blood investigations like complete blood count, coagulation profile, blood sugar level, HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, X-ray chest, ECG. These are the minimum investigations required prior to the surgical procedure.
Can I achieve a chiseled jaw just by chewing gum and not undergoing a buccal fat removal?
Chewing gum does make your facial muscles stronger, but it does not actually help dissolve the buccal fat pad. It can definitely help you to get rid of the fat which is just below the skin. The Buccal fat pad always remains untouched no matter how many chewing gums one may consume. If one desires results that are drastic or dramatic, such results on the face are possible with the buccal fat removal
Undoubtedly when you remove the buccal pad of a fat, the prominence of the Malar bone and prominence of the inferior border of a mandible becomes enhanced. A combination of chin implant or genioplasty, or making a jawline with dermal fillers, along with buccal fat removal gives you the best results for a chiseled jawline. Achieving a chiseled jawline with just buccal fat pad removal is not possible.
Here are buccal fat removal before after pictures India by Dr. Vaibhav Shah
