Buccal fat became a hot topic of conversation at the end of last year. Google Trends data shows searches for the (previously largely unconsidered) area of the face shot up in the weeks before Christmas, with related searches showing people were searching for “buccal fat removal in celebrities”. Oh, and then there are the 252 million views on videos about the topic on TikTok. For something that most of us have barely heard of, it is a hot topic of conversation. What, exactly, is buccal fat, anyway?
What is buccal fat?
“Buccal fat is a fat mass located on either side of the mouth, between facial muscles,” says reconstructive and plastic surgeon, Mr Naveen Cavale. “Everyone has it, but it’s more prominent in some people than others.” It is the pad of fat which sits just under your cheekbones and above your jawbone – if you have a fuller face, chances are you may have more buccal fat.
What does buccal fat removal entail?
It is a procedure which involves surgically removing the buccal fat in the cheek, usually under anaesthetic. By removing the fat, the idea is to create a more sculpted appearance, accentuate the cheekbones and essentially create a slimmer face. It is not a treatment to be taken lightly.
It has also been around for a long time. “My personal view is that it can be a really good operation for the right candidate,” says plastic surgeon, Marc Pacifico, president of The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. “But what worries me about any ‘trend’ is that people jump on a bandwagon because it’s being talked about a lot on social media – or the media in general. There’s also a particular appearance that is somewhat fashionable at the moment – but fashions are, by definition, time limited, and an alteration like this is permanent.”
Why are we talking about buccal fat removal now?
Likely because of celebrity culture – where most worrying plastic surgery trends begin. Back in September 2021, Chrissy Teigen shared that she had had buccal fat removal (with Kardashian favourite, Dr Jason Diamond) on her Instagram account. She is the only celebrity to be transparent about having it done, but there has nonetheless been a lot of speculation on social media about others, which could explain why it is being talked about so much right now. As Pacifico says, it is not a new procedure and “plastic surgeons have been talking about it and putting it on their Instagram accounts for years”.
Many, including Dr Cavale, blame social media and its many filters for the surge in conversations around the procedure. “I classify this type of surgery with some of the other ‘trend’ surgery that has done the rounds over the past few years – ie fox eye lifts – which again, has been fuelled by social media.”
Is all this safe?
It depends who you ask. Speak to any well-respected plastic surgeon and most will say it has its place, but concurrently it should not be viewed as a trend. “In an older patient, buccal fat can slip and look a bit like a bulky jowl, so it may be removed as part of certain facelift treatments,” says Pacifico. Dr Cavale agrees, occasionally performing the treatment during a facelift, but says that “facelift patients are older and you can already see where they’ve lost volume in the face”.
He warns that if it is being done as a standalone procedure, you risk damaging nearby structures on the inside of the mouth, such as salivary glands and nerve endings. “I don’t think it should be removed on its own, especially in young people,” he says. “As you age, you lose fat in the face and that is why people have facelifts and fat transfers as they get older. If you remove a lot of fat from the face when someone is young, you have no idea how they will age, especially as fat depletes with age anyway. There is a risk that it could create a skeletal appearance.”
If you’re thinking of getting it done…
Consider what other routes you can go down first – when buccal fat is gone, it is gone for good. “Make sure you see an established, experienced and ethical plastic surgeon who will try and understand what your concerns are and what you’re trying to achieve,” says Pacifico. “Maybe, for example, instead of buccal fat reduction, they will suggest adding some filler to cheekbones to enhance them and make the area beneath look smaller. There are different things that can be done if someone is after a more sculpted appearance.”
It is also (always) paramount to visit an experienced doctor for any procedure, big or small – don’t fall into the trap of booking in with whoever is cheapest. Do your research.
And finally, instead of jumping on a trend, ask yourself why you’re thinking of getting it done in the first place – is it because you actually want to remove your buccal fat, or because everyone’s doing it on TikTok? Know that times – and trends – change and what’s in today is often gone tomorrow.
This article was originally published on Vogue UK.
