Reducing the volume of the cheeks slims the oval of the face: the jawline is defined and the cheekbones stand out. The aim is harmony, not extreme thinness.
The cheekbones look higher and more projected without being touched: by lowering the prominence of the lower part of the cheek, the natural volume of the cheekbone stands out on its own. It is an alternative to fillers, which need topping up periodically.
It is what produces the so-called V-shaped face: wider at the top, with defined cheekbones, narrowing towards the jaw and chin.
It is not a substitute for a facelift and it does not correct severe laxity. It can have a rejuvenating effect where excess volume in the cheeks contributes to a puffy look, but it goes no further than that.
The result is permanent and needs no upkeep: the pads do not grow back and no external materials or implants are used.
Buccal fat removal is a facial aesthetic operation that has become popular for its visible, discreet and long-lasting results. The procedure sculpts the face by removing excess volume from the cheeks through partial extraction of the buccal fat pads. The result is a more streamlined, harmonious and defined appearance, particularly in the middle and lower thirds of the face.
At the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica del Mediterráneo, in Valencia, we carry out this technique with both a medical and an aesthetic approach, always respecting facial proportion and each patient’s individual features. In this article we go through the aesthetic benefits buccal fat removal brings and why it has become one of the most sought-after operations in younger and older faces alike.
One of the most obvious benefits of buccal fat removal is the improvement in the facial contour. By reducing the volume of the cheeks, the oval of the face is slimmed, the jawline is more clearly defined and the cheekbones stand out. The effect is a more structured, symmetrical face, particularly in people with rounded or poorly defined features.
This change in facial shape gives a slimmer, better-proportioned look that is much valued by men and women alike. The result is neither exaggerated nor artificial: the aim is harmony, not extreme thinness.
The whole decision between buccal fat removal and facial liposuction fits into one anatomical question: which plane the surplus fat is in. The buccal fat pad is deep fat, lying between the masseter and the buccinator, neither visible nor palpable from outside; it is removed from inside the mouth, through the lining of the cheek, and that is why it leaves no scar on the skin. Subcutaneous fat lies just beneath the skin, gives the contour its roundness and forms the double chin; it is treated from outside, with a cannula, through a minimal incision hidden in a natural crease — near the tragus, behind the ear or under the chin. They are not interchangeable: removing the wrong structure does not correct the problem and can leave an unnatural result, so the first thing decided at the consultation is the plane, not the technique. Original diagram by the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica del Mediterráneo, simplified for general readers.
It accentuates the cheekbones without fillers
Partially removing the buccal fat pads produces an immediate visual effect: the cheekbones look higher and more projected. This happens because, by reducing the prominence of the lower part of the cheek, the natural volume of the upper cheekbone stands out without anything being done to it directly.
In that sense, buccal fat removal offers an alternative to dermal fillers or fat grafts in the cheekbone, which need topping up periodically. And because it is a structural change, the result is more stable over the long term.
It gives a V-shaped face
One of the most sought-after aesthetic standards today is the V-shaped face. This contour is characterised by a wider upper face, with defined cheekbones, narrowing towards the jaw and chin.
Buccal fat removal helps achieve that effect by reducing volume in the middle and lower cheeks. The face then takes on a more balanced inverted triangle, younger-looking and more streamlined. This result is particularly valued by younger women who want to soften rounded shapes and project a more mature, sophisticated image.
It rejuvenates the face
Over the years, the face tends to lose definition and show signs of laxity. In some cases, excess volume in the cheeks contributes to an older or puffier look.
By reducing that volume, buccal fat removal can have a rejuvenating effect, particularly in patients whose cheeks have dropped through premature ageing or loss of tone. This operation does not replace a facelift and does not correct severe laxity, but it does significantly improve the overall look of the face, making it appear fresher and lighter.
It improves facial symmetry
In some patients, one cheek may be more prominent than the other for anatomical reasons or because of asymmetric muscle habits. Buccal fat removal makes it possible to even out that difference by removing a different volume on each side, which improves the symmetry of the face without altering its identity.
Greater symmetry is directly associated with the perception of beauty and balance. Even small corrections can produce a noticeable improvement in appearance and facial expression.
It helps project a well-groomed, professional image
In social or working life, personal appearance plays a part. A defined, symmetrical face with clear contours tends to be associated with a more confident, dynamic and professional presence. Beauty does not determine a person’s worth, but it does influence how their non-verbal language is read.
Buccal fat removal can help project a more polished image, without resorting to invasive or artificial transformations. It is a subtle way of enhancing facial aesthetics while respecting each patient’s natural features.
What patients who have had it say
The benefits of a technique can be listed or they can be measured. For buccal fat removal there is a systematic review bringing together four studies and 134 procedures, and the result on satisfaction is one of the most emphatic seen in aesthetic surgery: 84.6% of patients described their facial contour as “much better” and the remaining 15.4% as “better”. In other words, none described it as the same or worse.
That degree of agreement has a simple explanation, and it is the same one that makes this such a rewarding operation: the volume removed is small and very well defined — 2.74 mL on average —, it sits in a deep plane and it does not depend on how the skin heals. The change it produces is slight in centimetres and obvious in the profile photograph.
On how long it lasts, an honest note is called for. The portion of buccal fat pad that is removed does not form again, and in that sense the result needs no upkeep. What the literature has not yet studied is something different: how that face evolves after many years, because no published series has assessed long-term facial ageing after the operation.
Hence the guiding principle, which is what makes this benefit hold: remove exactly the right amount, and from the right face. The effect is documented and shows early; restraint with the volume is what protects it in the future.
Lasting results with no upkeep
Unlike other aesthetic treatments that require periodic sessions, buccal fat removal offers a permanent result. The buccal fat pads do not grow back once removed, so the facial contour achieved is maintained over time, provided the patient does not undergo major changes in weight.
There is no need for subsequent upkeep or touch-ups. Nor are any external materials or implants used, which reduces risk and avoids complications related to foreign bodies or the migration of substances.
Buccal fat removal is carried out under local anaesthetic, as a day case, in barely 50 minutes. The incision is made on the inner surface of the cheek, so it leaves no visible scar. Absorbable sutures are used, which do not need to be removed.
Recovery is short and well tolerated. Most patients go back to their usual activities the following day, with minimal aftercare. This combination of aesthetic effectiveness and minimal invasiveness makes buccal fat removal one of the safest and most rewarding operations in facial aesthetic surgery.
A positive effect on self-esteem
Beyond physical appearance, one of the most important benefits of buccal fat removal is the emotional effect it has on many patients. Feeling good about your own face, looking in the mirror and seeing harmony in your features, has a direct effect on personal confidence and self-esteem.
That effect does not depend solely on the aesthetic change, but on the sense of having taken control of something that was bothering you. It is a step many patients experience as a positive reinforcement in their personal, social or professional development.
Buccal fat removal is a straightforward operation but a powerful one in terms of aesthetic benefit. It defines the face, enhances the cheekbones, softens round cheeks and improves facial proportion in a lasting, natural way. All of it with no visible scarring, a short recovery and the backing of a specialist medical team.
At the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica del Mediterráneo, in Valencia, we carry out this operation to the highest standards of safety and aesthetics. If you are considering this option or would like to know whether you are a candidate, you can book an informative consultation with our specialists. We will be delighted to help you discover how this technique can bring out the best version of your face.
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Will it be very noticeable? Is it a subtle change or an obvious one?
It is a subtle but real change, and that is the right expectation. Removing the buccal fat pad slims the middle and lower third of the face and makes the cheekbone area stand out more by contrast, without touching the cheekbone.
What it does not do is transform the face. If what you are after is a change in structure — cheekbone projection, jaw definition, correction of the profile — this will not give it to you: those are other operations, and confusing them leads to predictable disappointment.
And there is a part that depends on you and not on the technique: on a thin face the effect is small, because there is little to remove. The less volume there is to begin with, the less it shows.
Does the result last for ever?
The tissue removed does not come back, so in that sense yes: it is a permanent change.
What carries on as usual is everything else. The face loses volume and descends with age, and that happens just the same with the buccal fat pad removed. So it is worth thinking about the decision ten years ahead too, and not only with today’s face.
Is it true that it can age the face over the years?
It is the most repeated criticism and it deserves an honest answer, not a defence. The reasoning of those who make it is this: if the face loses volume naturally over the years, having removed volume earlier could make that hollowing show sooner or more.
What can be said with some judgement is where the risk lies: not in the operation, but in the indication. On a face with genuine excess volume in that area, removing the buccal fat pad slims without hollowing. On a thin face, or by removing too much, the risk of a sunken look over time is greater — and that is why patient selection matters more here than technique.
It is also why a surgeon may tell you no. Being told so is a good sign.
Can it be undone if I do not like it?
Not literally: the tissue removed is not put back. What does exist, if the result ends up too hollow, is the possibility of returning volume to the area with your own fat or with filler.
It is a correction, not a reversal, and it is exactly why the arithmetic that applies to so many other operations applies here: coming up short can be touched up; going too far costs a great deal more.
Sources
Traboulsi-Garet B, Camps-Font O, Traboulsi-Garet M, Gay-Escoda C.Buccal fat pad excision for cheek refinement: A systematic review. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2021;26(4):e474-e481. PMID 34023838 — across 134 procedures, 84.6% rated their contour as “much better” and 15.4% as “better”; mean volume removed 2.74 mL.
Moura LB, Spin JR, Spin-Neto R, Pereira-Filho VA.Buccal fat pad removal to improve facial aesthetics: an established technique? Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2018;23(4):e478-e484. PMID 29924767 — no study has assessed facial ageing or the long-term effects of the procedure.
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