Buccal Fat Reduction

A 1–2cm incision inside the mouth, bluntly dissected to the buccal fat pad, which is partially extracted (surgeons typically remove 2–4 grams per side). The incision is closed with dissolvable sutures; patients eat soft foods for a week. The effect is permanent once the fat is gone.

45-minute outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. Significant swelling for 7–14 days that may initially make cheeks look fuller, not thinner. Final contour visible at 8–12 weeks. Recovery includes soft-food diet for 7 days, chlorhexidine mouthwash, and facial massage at 3 weeks to help scar remodel.

Buccal fat reduction (bichectomy) is a minor oral surgery performed under local anesthesia in which a surgeon makes a small incision inside the cheek and partially removes the buccal fat pad — a discrete fat pocket in the lower cheek that contributes to midface fullness. The procedure gained viral attention in 2022–2023 as celebrities (notably Chrissy Teigen, Lea Michele) publicly attributed sharper facial contours to it. Surgeons are increasingly divided: the procedure is technically straightforward but aesthetic outcomes depend heavily on patient age, baseline facial fat, and bone structure — and removed fat cannot be replaced without fat grafting later.