Excess fat pads located in the lower portion of the cheeks can give off the appearance of being overweight with overly full and rounded cheeks. This is sometimes referred to as ‘chip monk cheeks’, ‘chubby cheeks’, or even ‘baby face cheeks’ and can create a less than pleasing facial profile for some people. Unfortunately, the hereditary condition of excess fat in the lower cheeks, which is called buccal fat pads, cannot be reduced by exercise or diet. For patients that are dealing with this unflattering condition, a buccal fat removal surgery may be the answer. Buccal fat removal procedures can help to reduce full rounded cheeks and cheekbones can be better defined leaving patients with a slightly more chiseled look.
Buccal Fat Removal Surgery
Dr. Lopez performs buccal fat removal for most patients under local anesthesia and the procedure itself will take less than one hour. In cases where patients are doing more than one procedure, general anesthesia may be used and will be dependent upon the extent of their surgery and each patient’s level of comfort.
To begin the procedure, Dr. Lopez will place a hidden intraoral incision (inside the mouth) just between the cheek and gums. Dr. Lopez understands that as we continue to age, we naturally lose fat from our face so from this incision, he will remove only the necessary amount of excess buccal fat which will allow for a slender and more pleasing contour of the face and cheeks. Once one side is complete, Dr. Lopez repeats the process with the other cheek, careful to maintain even, balanced results. In some cases, cheek reduction may be combined with other procedures such as neck lift, liposuction, or chin augmentation to achieve more comprehensive facial recontouring.
Benefits of Buccal Fat Excision Surgery Include:
- Quick, safe, and effective with permanent results
- Can be performed under local anesthesia
- For men: more chiseled jawline and cheeks
- For women: more delicately sculpted lower facial contour
- Dr. Lopez’s buccal fat removal procedure will not leave any visible incisions
