Buccal Fat Removal

As a facial plastic surgeon in Charlotte, Dr. Kulbersh is always looking for ways to enhance his patients’ natural facial features. He analyzes the balance and proportions of the face to help create custom treatment plans for each patient. In some cases, patients may benefit from buccal fat pad removal in the cheek region.

The top aesthetic destination of the south, Carolina Facial Plastics, is led by double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Kulbersh. With his team of cosmetic experts, a fully accredited surgery center, and a private recovery retreat all located in the heart of SouthPark, Carolina Facial Plastics is known for unparalleled and natural-looking results exclusively for the face.

The buccal fat pad is a collection of fat in an area below the cheekbone. This fat has many finger-like extensions as it fills the space in the lower cheek area. There is no exact function for this tissue, but some believe it can help the muscle glide during eating and may help with the sucking mechanisms of babies. This cheek fat is similar to the appendix and the wisdom teeth in that we can safely live without it.

A buccal lipectomy might be an ideal option for patients who have overly round cheeks that lack definition. In many cases, this additional fullness from the cheek to the jawline is due to an excessively large cheek fat pad. Partial removal of this tissue can help create cheek definition and a slimmer contour in the lower face.

Supermodel Chrissy Teigen recently opened up about her decision to undergo buccal fat pad removal to sculpt and define her cheekbones. While Teigen has always been striking, her procedure has highlighted her contours and slimmed her face.

The buccal fat excision procedure in Charlotte is fast, simple, and easy to perform. The surgery involves only a small incision inside the mouth near the cheek area. Through this small hole, the fatty cheek pad is identified, teased out, and removed. After the fat is removed, it takes only one stitch to close the small incision inside the mouth. Dr. Kulbersh completes this entire procedure in less than 45 minutes. Learn more about the buccal fat removal surgery at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

What is recovery like after the procedure?

Recovering from a buccal fat excision is relatively uneventful. You might experience minor swelling that will persist for just a few days. Any pain is minor and typically requires only over-the-counter pain medications. You will be on antibiotics for a few days and will need to eat soft foods for a week to prevent injury to the stitches and sides of their mouth. North Carolina patients will also need to use a special mouthwash after eating for one week.