Buccal Fat Removal in Beverly Hills, CA
Buccal fat removal, also called buccal lipectomy, buccal fat excision, or cheek fat removal, is a surgical procedure to reduce the fat in the lower portion of the cheeks, above the jawline, to give greater definition to the cheekbones. Buccal fat removal has become popular with people who have naturally rounded or cherubic faces with more cheek fat than they would prefer.
Daniel Golshani, MD, FACS performs buccal fat removal surgery in Beverly Hills, CA to improve the appearance of men and women who are unhappy with the amount of fat in their lower cheeks. Dr. Golshani is a double board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive expertise and experience in facial cosmetic surgery. Dr. Golshani has earned international recognition for the beautiful, natural quality of his results and innovations in surgical techniques. His caring focus on each patient begins with the initial consultation and carries into their recovery and follow-up. Patients come to him from around the world for his surgical skills, his thoroughness in planning personalized treatments, and his holistic approach to improving patients’ lives.
To learn more about the subtle facial enhancement possible with buccal fat removal, contact us to schedule your private consultation with Dr. Golshani.
What Is a Buccal Fat Removal?
Each cheek has two fat pads: the malar fat pad, which lies on top of the cheekbones, and the buccal fat pad, positioned between the cheekbone and the jaw. People with naturally thin buccal fat pads have flat or hollowed contours between the cheekbones and the jawline. Those with larger buccal fat pads have rounder, fuller contours in the lower portion of the face, which can create a chubby-cheeked, cherubic, or babyish look. There’s nothing wrong with that. It can be attractive. However, if that’s not the look you want for yourself, buccal fat removal is cosmetic surgery to remove or reduce the buccal fat pads to pull in the lower part of your cheeks and make your cheekbones more prominent.
Buccal Fat Removal Vs. Liposuction of the Cheeks
Liposuction removes excess fat from the layer just below the skin rather than the deeper fat pads. It accomplishes this by breaking up and extracting the fat through a surgical tube, or cannula, inserted through small incisions just behind the hairline. Buccal fat removal uses incisions inside the mouth to surgically remove or reduce the buccal fat pad, which lies in a layer that cannot be reached via liposuction. Both techniques have their uses and benefits, but they correct different cosmetic issues. While liposuction is effective for reducing overall fat volume, buccal fat removal has a sculpting effect precisely in the lower cheeks.
Why Choose Dr. Golshani For Buccal Fat Removal in Los Angeles?
Double board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Daniel Golshani takes a highly customized approach to each facial surgery procedure. Every face is unique, and even subtle changes in the contours of the face can enhance appearance in unique ways. Dr. Golshani understands this and uses his tremendous skills as a surgeon and his deep understanding of facial anatomy to create natural-looking plastic surgery results, tailored to bring out the best in each patient’s appearance.
You might consider buccal fat removal if you’re bothered by a full, rounded shape in the lower portion of your face and would prefer narrower, more sculpted facial contours and more prominent cheekbones. Buccal fat removal can deliver a more mature and classically attractive appearance, boosting your self-esteem and self-confidence.
Meet Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
Daniel Golshani, MD, FACS
Dr. Golshani is a double board-certified plastic surgeon who is committed to enhancing your natural beauty. With a focus on balance, harmony, and symmetry, he is passionate about making aesthetic goals a reality at his Beverly Hills practice. We are not only dedicated to your personal cosmetic beauty, but also to ensuring your health, safety, and comfort.
Planning Your Beverly Hills Buccal Fat Removal
Your consultation with Dr. Golshani is a critical step in planning your successful buccal fat removal procedure. A patient coordinator will meet with you briefly before Dr. Golshani joins the consultation and will stay in the room to take notes. Dr. Golshani will ask questions to understand your goals for treatment and review your medical history. He will then examine you to assess the shape of your face, including the underlying bone and cartilage structure and the extent and position of facial fat. He will also look at the quality and resilience of your facial skin. Based on your goals and Dr. Golshani’s examination, he will recommend an approach to the surgery. He will explain what you can expect throughout the process, how to prepare for surgery and care for yourself afterward, your likely outcome, and your risks.
While Dr. Golshani will answer any questions about the surgery, our patient coordinator will answer your non-surgical questions. Dr. Golshani wants to ensure you have the information to make an educated decision about the surgery and understand your role in preparing yourself for your procedure and caring for yourself afterward.
Are You a Good Candidate for Buccal Fat Removal?
During your consultation, Dr. Golshani will inform you whether you are a good candidate for buccal fat removal. You are probably a good candidate if you:
- Are bothered by full, rounded lower cheeks that give your face a babyish look, and would like a narrower, more sculpted appearance from your cheeks to your jawline
- Are in good overall health
- Do not smoke, or can quit smoking for six weeks before and after the surgery
It’s best to wait until your face has achieved its final adult proportions, age 18 to 20, before considering buccal fat removal. Youthful fat in the lower cheeks can sometimes thin naturally as you mature.
If you are older and are also bothered by loose or sagging facial skin, Dr. Golshani may recommend a facelift instead of or in combination with buccal fat removal.
The ideal candidate for any plastic surgery procedure, including buccal fat removal, has realistic expectations for the outcome of the surgery and is aware of the risks.
How to Prepare for Buccal Fat Removal Surgery
Dr. Golshani will provide specific instructions on how to prepare for your surgery. These may include measures to take in the weeks before surgery, such as stopping smoking and fortifying your health, and short-term measures, such as discontinuing certain medications and avoiding herbal supplements in the days before your procedure.
What to Expect on the Day of Your Los Angeles Buccal Fat Removal Procedure
Buccal fat removal is performed on an outpatient basis, usually using a local anesthetic, sometimes with sedation. When buccal fat removal is combined with another procedure, general anesthesia may be used. As with all our surgeries, it is performed in our state-of-the-art surgical center, the Rexford Surgical Institute, which is in our building on the same floor as our office.
Once you are numbed or asleep, Dr. Golshani will make two small incisions inside your mouth, one on the inside of each cheek, to access the buccal fat pads. He’ll then extract the fat pads and either trim them to thinner dimensions or remove them entirely. When the planned changes are complete, he’ll close the incisions, typically with dissolvable sutures that won’t require a return visit for removal.
If the surgery has been performed without sedation or general anesthesia, you can leave when it’s completed. If sedation or general anesthesia has been used, you’ll need to wait until the effects have worn off and you are fully alert, then have a trusted friend or family member drive you home.
What to Expect After Your Buccal Fat Removal Surgery
You should plan to rest at home for the first few days after surgery. You’ll need to be on a liquid diet for a day or two, then eat only soft foods and liquids until the incisions have healed. You can expect some swelling, bruising, and numbness where the incisions have been made. Keeping your head elevated and applying ice packs can help to minimize swelling and promote healing. Any discomfort you experience can be managed with over-the-counter pain medication.
Dr. Golshani and his staff will provide thorough instructions on how to care for yourself as you recover and when to return for follow-up visits. You’ll be provided a special mouthwash and instructions on how to prevent infection at the incision sites.
You’ll be able to resume light activity in about a week. Most patients take five days to a week off from work, to allow swelling and bruising to subside. You’ll see the first signs of improvement in about a week, once the initial swelling goes down. Your plastic surgery results will gradually improve as residual swelling disappears and your cheeks settle into their new shape.
Schedule Your Buccal Fat Removal Consultation in Beverly Hills
Contact us today to schedule a private consultation with Dr. Golshani to learn more about how buccal fat removal can bring out the natural beauty of your face.
Buccal Fat Removal FAQs -Beverly Hills, CA
The buccal fat removed in the procedure is gone permanently, and will not return. But the layer of facial fat just below the skin can fluctuate in volume as you gain or lose weight and can change the appearance of your face. For the best long-term results, adopt healthy and sustainable eating and exercise habits to maintain a stable weight.
It’s also important to note that buccal fat removal does nothing to improve or preserve skin quality and resilience. Take good care of your skin by using a good moisturizer and avoiding excessive sun exposure. If you’re bothered by sagging skin, roughness, uneven coloring, or facial lines and wrinkles as you age, other treatments and procedures can help you maintain or recover a youthful look.
Buccal fat removal should not be performed before your facial contours have fully matured after adolescence, which usually happens by age 18 to 20. The best results are also obtained for patients with resilient skin that has not begun to stretch and sag with age. There’s no specific timeline for those age-associated changes. If your skin has started to show signs of laxness, buccal fat removal can be combined with skin tightening treatments or a facelift.