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Cheek Contouring Treatment
Buccal Fat Pad Removal
Buccal fat pad removal is a surgical procedure designed to slim and sculpt the lower face by removing the buccal fat pads. These are naturally occurring pockets of fat located deep within your cheeks, but clients quite often dislike the appearance of overdominant buccal fat pads. Buccal fat pad removal can have a number of aesthetic benefits:
- Addressing a “chubby cheek” appearance
- Balancing out facial proportions for a more sculpted look
- Enhancing the definition of the jawline and cheeks
- Highlight the bone structure in your face, especially your cheekbones and the hollowed-out areas between your cheeks and jawline.
The procedure is also sometimes called a cheek reduction.
Cosmedics Skin Clinics offers buccal fat pad removal as a day case procedure at our London clinics with our fully registered and experienced surgeons.
How is buccal fat pad removal carried out?
- Anaesthetic: Local anaesthetic will be injected into the cheeks to numb the area and make the procedure completely pain-free. We don’t need to use general anaesthetic, which means a faster recovery with fewer risks and complications.
- Incisions: The surgeon makes tiny incisions (usually less than 1 cm). These are made inside your mouth, on the inner lining of each cheek, near the opening of the Stensen duct (a salivary gland duct). This means that there is no visible scarring from the outside of the cheeks
- Fat Removal: Using gentle pressure on the outside of the cheek, the surgeon exposes the buccal fat pad and then reduces its size using special instruments. The amount removed will depend on your desired outcome and facial structure.
- Closure: The incisions are then closed with dissolvable stitches that will disappear on their own.
Advantages of 'Day Case' buccal fat pad removal surgery
Cosmedics Skin Clinics offers buccal fat pad removal procedures on a ‘day case’ basis, making it very convenient for busy clients and at competitive costs too, saving the hassle and expense of a hospital stay.
- Local anaesthetic – better tolerated and lower risks than general
- No overnight stay – less time out of your busy schedule
- Fast recovery – bruising lasts up to 10 days
- A simple walk in walk out procedure
- Takes around 60 minutes (up to 2 hours max)
- Longer lasting than injections or laser – excess skin gone for good
Non-surgical treatment options
Our non-invasive cosmetic treatments can be used alongside buccal fat pad removal surgery for a more comprehensive result. All our doctors are highly skilled in the latest injectable treatments. Options to consider:
- Dermal Fillers to replenish lost volume elsewhere or provide structure for localised ‘lift’ e.g. cheekbones
- 8 point face lift to lift facial tissues throughout the upper, mid and lower facial areas
Our Putney and Harley Street centres also offer advanced treatments using laser skin tightening technology, including ClearLift laser skin tightening and rejuvenation.
You can expect great results from your surgery, but these can be used alongside to enhance the overall result. Your surgeon will be happy to advise.