Buccal fat reduction surgery can give your face a slimmer, more contoured appearance by reducing the size of fat pads that may be resistant to rigorous dieting and exercise.  If your goal is a slimmer face, diet and exercise will help – to a point.  The trouble is that some pockets of facial fat are especially stubborn. 

The fullness or roundness in the lower third of the face is the result of fat pockets that make up the cheeks. These fat compartments are buccal fat pads or Bichat’s fat pads. The amount of this fat is inherited, so diet and exercise will have limited effect on changing their size and shape. It’s possible for some people to appear slim and chiseled otherwise, but still have a “puffy” or “rounded”-looking face that lacks sculpture.

Though buccal fat removal surgery has become more popular lately because of TikTok videos and the like, Houston’s Dr. Michel Siegel has been performing this procedure since 2002.  It’s one option of several that can help you bring out hidden character in your face.

What is involved in buccal fat pad reduction?

The procedure can be done by itself or as part of a facelift. When done by itself, buccal fat reduction involves making a tiny incision inside the cheek and removing some of the buccal fat pad. Because of that, there are no scars on the outside of the face.

The procedure can be performed under local, twilight or general anesthesia, and typically takes between 15-30 minutes complete.

Recovery time varies, but most patients are able to return to normal activities within a few days.

Benefit from a facial surgery specialist’s many years of experience

Although buccal fat reduction is a short procedure with less recovery time than many others, it is still a surgical procedure on the face, and the face is a higher-stakes area than most other parts of your body.  It’s a roll of the dice to go to a surgeon who has little experience performing this procedure, or to try to save money by going to the local med spa.  Though simpler than many other facial surgery procedures Dr. Siegel performs, this procedure still requires an experienced surgeon to “sculpt” your face to achieve the attractive and natural appearance you want, to protect the nerves of the face, and to prevent a hollow appearance from too much fat removal.

Dr. Siegel has performed buccal fat reduction in Houston for more than 20 years, and has helped people of many ages and face types. As a facial surgery specialist, his extensive experience with procedures far more complex than buccal fat reduction make the procedure easy both for him and for you.  It also means he will tell you if there are alternative options to consider that will help you achieve the look you want.  You will be in experienced hands from the initial consultation through the aftercare period.