Buccal fat is fat between your cheekbones and jaw bones in your face. These fat pads help make up the shape of your face. Buccal fat removal is a surgery to remove the fat in this area of your face.

Buccal fat removal can highlight the bone structure in your face, especially your cheekbones and the hollowed-out areas between your cheeks and jawline. The procedure is also sometimes called a cheek reduction.

Some people may feel the roundness in their cheeks creates a fullness to their face they don’t like. Having a cheek reduction can alleviate the sense of fullness or “chubbiness” of your cheeks.

You may consider having this procedure if you:

• Don’t like the appearance of fullness in your cheeks

• Are otherwise healthy and have a stable weight

You may not be a good candidate for buccal fat removal if your face is narrow or if you’re over a certain age, as buccal fat naturally diminishes with age.

Step 1 – Anesthesia  

You’ll receive a local anesthetic to numb the skin on your face so you won’t feel any pain. You’ll remain awake during the procedure. If you’re having more than one procedure done at the same time, you may receive general anesthesia.

Step 2 – The Incision  

Your surgeon will make a small incision on the inside of your mouth on both sides of your face to expose the buccal fat pads.

Step 3 – Removing the fat

Your provider will press gently on the fat pads to further expose them, then cut and remove the fat pads.

Step 4 – Closing the Incision 

Finally, your provider will close the incisions with sutures. Often, the sutures are dissolvable. Your provider will let you know if you need to come back for suture removal after your procedure.

Step 5 – See the Results 

After your procedure, your healthcare provider will explain how to care for your incisions. They may give you a special mouth rinse to help with healing and prevent infection. You’ll be on a liquid diet for a day or two while your incisions start to heal. Gradually, you can add soft foods to your diet as your provider says it’s OK.

Some things you can expect after surgery:

• Swelling

• Bruising

• Numbness at the incision sites

The surgery takes approximately 45 minutes for both sides of the face to be treated.

Most patients are usually comfortable returning to their daily activities within 4 to 5 days after surgery.

There is some mild swelling after surgery that gradually resolves in the ensuing few days. As it does, the new, more defined, facial contours emerge. Gently applying cold compresses can help reduce swelling faster. Within 1 to 2 weeks, the swelling has sufficiently resolved to reveal the result. Cheek definition continues to improve over a 4 to 6-month period. It takes about 7 days for the sutures inside the mouth to completely dissolve and fall out.

The main restriction after surgery is avoiding strenuous physical activity and vigorous exercise. Avoiding acidic foods and liquids is also recommended because the small incisions inside the cheeks feel like small sores. Patients will need to rinse their mouths with saltwater to keep the small incisions inside the mouth clean during the healing process.

Buccal fat removal is considered a long-term solution to reducing excess fullness in your cheeks. Once the fat is removed, it does not grow back.

The cost of buccal fat removal procedure in Canada usually ranges from $2,750 to $6,750.

With any surgery, you must weigh the risks and the potential benefits of having the procedure. Your healthcare provider will discuss with you any risks so you can make an informed decision.

Some risks associated with buccal fat removal surgery are:

• Infection at the incision site

• Injury to facial nerves and/or salivary duct injury

• Numbness or sensation changes

• Facial asymmetry

367/404 people who have undergone buccal fat removal have rated the procedure “Worth It” (91%)

• Source – Realself.com