It’s one thing to have full, round cheeks, but it’s quite another to have chipmunk cheeks. When you’re a kid, having chubby cheeks might be cute, but as an adult, you might not like the way they make you look. If you don’t like how big your cheeks are, you might want to consider Buccal Fat Removal.
There’s nothing wrong with having fuller cheeks. But if you want to make them smaller, a plastic surgeon might suggest removing the fat from the inside of your cheeks. This surgery is done to make round faces less wide.
If you want to know more about buccal fat removal, read on to find out about the procedure, its risks, how much it costs in Dubai, and if you are a good candidate for it.
What is buccal fat removal?
Buccal fat pad is a singular structure between the facial muscles. Its removal may enhance the zygomatic prominences resulting in an inverted triangle of beauty. According to study of the National Library of Medicine.
Buccal fat removal (extraction), which is also called cheek reduction surgery, is a type of facial plastic surgery in which fat is taken out of your cheeks. During the procedure, your cheek fat pads are surgically removed. This makes the cheeks thinner and sets the angles of the face.
Cheek reduction surgery can be done alone or along with another type of plastic surgery, such as:
Are you a good candidate for Buccal fat pad removal surgery?
If you feel like your cheeks are too puffy or chubby and you are healthy enough to have surgery, you may be a candidate for buccal fat removal (extraction).
The best way to find out if you are a candidate is to talk to a plastic surgeon who is board-certified and has a lot of experience with cheek reduction and other facial plastic surgery procedures. Start your search for a surgeon in your area right away.
During the consultation, your surgeon will look at the structure of your face, write down your medical history, and listen to your concerns about your cheeks and your aesthetic goals. He or she will decide if you are a good candidate for buccal fat extraction based on how this consultation goes.
Your doctor will explain the procedure in detail, including any possible long-term effects. Your face naturally gets thinner as you get older, so not everyone needs this surgery. Also, if you gain a lot of weight after having surgery to make your cheeks thinner, they may get fat again. Age, anatomy, and the shape of the face must all be taken into account. During your consultation, you should talk about these important things.
How is buccal fat removal performed?
Before your surgery, your doctor should give you detailed instructions on what to do and what not to do. In these rules, you’ll find out what prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and herbal supplements you can take in the days before your surgery and while you’re healing.
If you smoke, your doctor will probably tell you to stop smoking before and after surgery. Any surgery is riskier if you smoke, and it can also slow your recovery and hurt your results. Find out more in our detailed article about how dangerous it is to smoke and get plastic surgery at the same time.
The buccal fat removal procedure takes about an hour and can be done on an outpatient basis with general anesthesia or local anesthesia and sedation. It can be done at the same time as a Mid face lift, brow lift, or eyelid surgery, which will make the treatment last longer.
After giving you anesthesia, your surgeon will make cuts inside your mouth. These cuts are between two and four centimeters long and are near your second upper molar. Through these cuts, the surgeon removes buccal fat before stitching the cuts shut. Then, your doctor may put gauze with antibiotics on the cuts or wrap your head in a pressure dressing. Ask your surgeon about what he or she likes and why.
How long does it take to heal from buccal fat removal?
Because of the anesthesia, you might feel sleepy and sick right after your cheek reduction. There could be some swelling, bruising, and pain. Your surgeon can give you painkillers to help you feel better. Your doctor will tell you to sleep with your head up.
Since the incisions for a buccal extraction are inside your mouth, it can be hard to eat right after surgery. After a buccal extraction, you will need to eat soft foods for three to five days and rinse after each meal. Also, you should stay away from foods that are very acidic, like oranges and tomatoes, because they can hurt the cuts.
Most of the time, absorbable sutures are used, so they don’t need to be taken out. After the first week of your recovery from a buccal fat extraction, any swelling should have gone down a lot. Follow your doctor’s advice about how to get back to normal activities.
How long does buccal fat removal last?
When the swelling goes down a few months after surgery, the final results of removing the fat pad from the cheek are usually clear. But the results of removing a buccal fat pad depend on a patient’s diet and other things. The results of reducing fat in your cheeks are permanent, but your face as a whole will continue to age and may change as your weight goes up and down.
Buccal fat removal surgery risks and complications
As with any surgery, there are risks with buccal fat removal Surgery. Some of the risks of cheek reduction are:
- Anesthesia complications
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Puckering of the cheek skin
- Excessive scar tissue
- Lumps on the cheeks
- Nerve damage
- Asymmetry
- Lumps on the cheeks
- Dissatisfaction with the aesthetic results
These risks can be kept to a minimum by choosing a board-certified, highly qualified plastic surgeon and following his or her instructions before and after the surgery. For example, taking all of your antibiotics as directed can help keep you from getting sick, while staying away from aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help keep you from bleeding.
Is Facial (cheek) liposuction the same as buccal fat removal?
When compared to buccal fat removal procedures, facial liposuction gives different results and is done for different reasons. It can remove fat from the jowls, jawline, chin, and upper neck. It helps get rid of extra fat in these areas and also lets a skilled doctor sculpt and reshape the jawline and chin to make them look better. Best of all, if facial liposuction is done the right way, it can help lift and tighten the skin on the face. So, facial liposuction is good for people who want to look slimmer, have tighter skin on their lower faces, and have a more defined jawline and chin.
How much does buccal fat pad removal cost in Dubai?
Buccal fat removal can cost in Dubai anywhere from 8,000 AED to 20,000 AED, depending on the experience of the surgeon and the kind of anesthesia used. In general, the costs of plastic surgery include the surgeon’s fee, the fee for anesthesia, the fee for the facility, the fee for the lab, the cost of the medicine, and the cost of other things like bandages.
When you have other procedures done at the same time as a buccal fat extraction, the initial cost goes up. But in the long run, you will save money because you will only have to pay for the facility and anesthesia once. For example, a lip reduction and a cheek reduction can be done at the same time. If this is the case, the total cost of the two procedures will be less than if they were done at different times.