The Impact of Buccal Fat on Facial Contours

When considering buccal fat removal,

it is necessary to have an accurate understanding

of where buccal fat is located in the formation of facial contours.

It is important not to have vague expectations

that removing buccal fat alone can make the face into a V-line shape.

Even as I came across before-and-after photos of surgeries in various cosmetic surgery-related cafes,

I often worried that they might be giving ordinary people without professional medical knowledge

vague and unfounded expectations.

In fact, after consultations, there were many times when I had to turn people away and discourage surgery,

while explaining that buccal fat removal alone could not promise results that would meet their expectations,

people who had fasted since early morning and traveled for 3 to 4 hours by train from far away to have surgery right after the consultation.

The facial contour is determined by several factors, as follows.

                                                                                 1.  Facial bones – lower jaw, cheekbones, etc.

                                                                                 2.  Muscles

                                                                                 3.  Subcutaneous fat

                                                                                 4.  Buccal fat

                                                                                 5.  Skin

To change the facial contour,

it is important to have an accurate understanding of which part of the face is developed and making the contour stand out, along with addressing the cause.

If the angular contour of the lower jawbone is prominent,

a square jaw surgery or V-line square jaw surgery that refines the angular jawbone is needed,

and if the masseter muscle covering the angular bone area is developed, a procedure that reduces the volume of the masseter muscle is needed.

Figure 2.

Also, if there is a lot of subcutaneous fat in the face,

or if correction of the jawline formed as the skin sags downward is needed,

it is appropriate to consider subcutaneous fat suction or a facelift.

Buccal fat has some influence on the contour of the fuller cheek area between the front of the masseter muscle and the lips.

Therefore, the area where changes can be expected after buccal fat removal is the cheek area shown in the figure below.

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