Does Buccal Fat Removal Cause Premature Aging?
Buccal fat removal, sometimes called cheek fat removal, is a procedure that removes the buccal fat pads from the cheeks. In recent years buccal fat removal has surged in popularity due to a trend for the hollow cheek look popularized by celebrities and social media influencers.
While removing the buccal fat can contour the cheeks, there are concerns around whether this procedure may lead to premature aging over time.
What is Buccal Fat?
The buccal fat pad is a naturally occurring deposit of fat in the cheek area located between the buccinator muscle and several facial muscles. Buccal fat plays an important role in shaping facial contours and maintaining a youthful appearance over time.
As we age, the buccal fat pad naturally begins to lose volume and descend lower into facial tissues. This process contributes towards that gaunt, sunken cheek look associated with later stages of life.
What Does Buccal Fat Do?
In addition to shaping the cheeks, buccal fat pads have other important functions including:
- Acting as a natural filler to prevent sagging
- Enhancing facial definition and structure
- Protecting and stabilizing facial nerves & muscles
- Supporting essential blood vessels to facial tissues
Why Do People Remove Buccal Fat?
There are a few perceived aesthetic benefits driving interest in buccal fat removal:
- Slimming or contouring round, full cheeks
- Hollowing cheeks to enhance facial structure
- Increasing definition along the jawline and cheekbones
Patients seeking buccal fat removal often want to achieve a slimmer facial profile reminiscent of high fashion models with defined hollows below the cheekbones.
Can Removing Buccal Fat Cause Premature Aging?
One of the biggest concerns surrounding buccal fat removal is the risk of it potentially accelerating signs of premature aging over time.
Remember that the buccal fat pad naturally loses volume and elasticity as you get older. Surgically removing this vital fat before its ready can essentially mimic or jumpstart that facial aging process early.
How Buccal Fat Removal Can Age Your Face
There are a few ways prematurely removing the buccal fat can negatively impact facial aging:
Loss of Volume
With less facial fat, the cheeks have less internal support and volume. Over time gravity takes over, accelerating drooping and sagging.
Loss of Elasticity
Facial fat helps maintain skin elasticity. Removing the buccal fat eliminates this benefit, allowing skin to loosen quicker.
Loss of Facial Nerves
Buccal fat protects facial nerves and blood vessels required for nourishing facial tissues. Damage during removal can impair their supportive function long-term.
Less Collagen
Facial fat assists in stimulating collagen production essential for keeping skin plump and wrinkle-free. After removal collagen regeneration declines earlier.
When Do Signs of Premature Aging Appear?
For most patients, noticeable aging doesnt happen right away. But in the years following buccal fat removal, the impacts compound over time:
- 1-5 years: Mild hollowness below cheeks
- 5-10 years: Deepening folds and wrinkles
- 10+ years: Significant facial sagging
This timeline can vary based on age, genetics, lifestyle factors and how aggressive the original fat removal was.
Reverse Premature Aging with Fillers
The good news is, injectable wrinkle fillers can help reverse early signs of premature aging from buccal fat removal. Hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm Voluma can replace lost facial volume in the midface. More intensive fillers may be needed to compensate years later as the impacts compound.
What Does Buccal Fat Removal Involve?
If you do decide to move forward with buccal fat removal, understanding the procedure itself is key. Below we break down the common techniques, surgery process, and recovery involved.
Buccal Fat Removal Techniques
Two approaches are generally used to remove the buccal fat pads - complete or partial removal:
Complete Buccal Fat Removal
The entire buccal fat pad is excised from each cheek. This maximizes fat loss for the most dramatic slimming effect.
Partial Buccal Fat Removal
Only a portion of the central lower buccal fat is removed. Some peripheral fat is left to help avoid indentation of cheeks.
How Buccal Fat Is Removed
During buccal fat removal surgery, a small incision is made inside the upper or lower lip to access the buccal fat. The fat pads are then teased away from surrounding tissues before being cut out and removed with surgical tools.
For partial removal, surgeons may utilize specialized ultrasonic devices to emulsify and suction excess fat while leaving some intact.
Buccal Fat Removal Recovery
Patients will experience some swelling and bruising for ~2 weeks following surgery. Strenuous activity should also be avoided during the initial recovery period. Most discomfort and side effects subside within 4-6 weeks.
Final results take ~3 months to fully develop once inflammation goes down. The cheeks often appear slightly slimmer, more tapered at the jawline, with enhanced hollows beneath the cheekbones.
Ideal Buccal Fat Removal Candidates
While almost anyone can technically get buccal fat removal, the best candidates include:
- Healthy individuals without chronic medical conditions
- Non-smokers
- People with good skin elasticity
- Patients with fuller round cheek shape
- Those with realistic expectations for subtle cheek contouring
Its recommended women wait until full facial maturation around age 25-30 before considering buccal fat removal. Developing teens and those with naturally hollow cheeks are discouraged due to higher aging risk.
Buccal Fat Removal Cost
According to 2021 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of buccal fat removal is $2,541. This does not include fees for the surgeon, facility, anesthesia, and follow-up appointments.
Given the custom nature of the procedure, costs can range anywhere from $1,500 - $5,000+ depending on factors like the surgeons fees, extent of fat removed, and your geographic location.
Should You Get Buccal Fat Removal?
Ultimately only you can decide if surgically removing the buccal fat is right for both your facial profile and long-term aging concerns. Be very selective about choosing an experienced plastic surgeon. Discuss your cosmetic facial goals openly, including a plan for countering any premature aging if needed down the road.
If the rewards are worth the risks for your individual scenario, buccal fat removal may help achieve the slimmer cheek look you desire. But be prepared to consider correcting filler injections and other treatments if too much age-related volume loss eventually occurs.
FAQs
What is buccal fat and what does it do?
Buccal fat pads are deposits in the cheek area that shape facial contours, prevent sagging, stabilize muscles/nerves, and support healthy skin.
How can removing buccal fat cause premature aging?
Removing buccal fat can accelerate aging by losing volume/elasticity sooner, damaging nerves/blood vessels, and reducing collagen that typically keeps skin firm and youthful.
At what point in the aging process with buccal fat removal do signs like wrinkles appear?
In the first 1-5 years mild hollowness occurs, then deepening folds over the next 5-10 years, with significant sagging typically apparent 10+ years later.
Can you reverse buccal fat removal aging with dermal fillers?
Yes, injectable fillers like Voluma can replace lost facial volume from buccal fat removal and lessen signs of premature aging it causes over time.
Who shouldn't get buccal fat removal due to aging concerns?
Teens, those with naturally hollow cheeks already, and individuals unwilling to get filler maintenance to prevent premature aging later on.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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