Deep Cheek Fat Removal: Why the Cheeks May Look More Hollow If Done Incorrectly

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Hello,

I am Seong Hyeon-ju, director of Cheongdam OK Clinic.

▶ Full Member of the Korean Association of Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery (KACS)
▶ Full Member of the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity (KSSO)
▶ Full Member of the Korean Association of Aesthetic and Metabolic Surgery (KAAM)
▶ Full Member of the Korean Society of Liposuction and Body Contouring (KSSL)
▶ Full Member of the Korean Society of Aesthetic Surgery (KSAS)

If your face looks larger because of cheek fat,

or the lower part of your face looks particularly heavy,

you may begin looking into deep cheek fat removal.

In particular, if the volume inside your cheeks remains even after losing weight,

it can be easy to think that directly removing the fat

might be more effective.

However, deep cheek fat removal should not be approached simply

as “a surgery to remove as much cheek fat as possible.”

Depending on the location and amount of fat removed,

the cheeks may instead look hollow, or the cheekbones

may appear more prominent.

Therefore, it is important to plan carefully,

taking into account not only your current facial shape and fat volume,

but also how your volume may change in the future.

Table of Contents
1. Where is deep cheek fat located? 2. Why can the cheeks look hollow? 3. Will removing more fat make the face look smaller? 4. What should be checked before surgery?

1. Where is deep cheek fat located?

Deep cheek fat differs from the ordinary subcutaneous fat

located directly beneath the skin

in both its location and function.

It is located relatively deep inside the cheeks

and can affect the volume from the front cheeks to the area around the mouth,

as well as the contours of the face.

When there is a large amount of fat in this area,

the lower cheeks may look bulging

even if a person is not significantly overweight.

As volume becomes concentrated in the lower part of the face,

the face may also look round and heavy.

In such cases, deep cheek fat removal may be considered

to reduce fat within the necessary range

and refine the facial contours.

However, it is important to understand

that all visible cheek fat is not caused by deep cheek fat.

Because various factors—including subcutaneous fat, developed masseter muscles, and the underlying bone structure— can have a combined effect,

it is first necessary to distinguish the cause.

2. Why can the cheeks look hollow?

One of the points requiring caution in deep cheek fat removal

is excessive reduction of volume.

Deep cheek fat is also tissue that affects

the three-dimensional appearance of the face

and creates soft contours.

If more fat than necessary is removed,

the area beneath the cheekbones or the center of the cheeks

may look sunken.

Extra caution is needed if the face originally has little fat

or if the area beneath the cheekbones is slightly hollow.

Even if the face initially seems slimmer,

skin elasticity and the amount of facial fat

may change over time.

When these changes are added,

hollows in the cheeks that were not noticeable before

may become relatively more pronounced.

Therefore, when planning deep cheek fat removal,

it is necessary to consider not only how the face looks now,

but also how much volume should be preserved.

3. Will removing more fat make the face look smaller?

When considering deep cheek fat removal,

some people think, “Wouldn’t removing as much as possible make my face look slimmer?”

However, the amount of fat removed

does not always correspond to how much smaller the face looks.

If the volume necessary for the face is reduced excessively,

the cheekbones may appear relatively more prominent,

or the area around the mouth may look hollow.

Rather than creating smooth facial contours,

stronger hollows may become visible,

emphasizing a gaunt appearance.

Therefore, with deep cheek fat removal,

how much volume to leave is more important

than how much to remove.

The overall proportions should be considered

by examining differences in volume between the two sides of the face,

the position of the cheekbones,

and the connection between the front cheeks and the jawline.

4. What should be checked before surgery?

The first thing to check is

whether the cause of the cheek fat you are concerned about

is actually deep cheek fat.

Just because there is a lot of tissue when you pinch your cheek

does not necessarily mean that deep cheek fat removal

is needed.

There may be a large amount of subcutaneous fat,

or the lower face may look wider

because the masseter muscles are well developed.

Also, because of the bone structure of the jaw or cheekbones,

the cheeks may look more prominent

than the actual amount of fat would suggest.

It is also advisable to check whether there is currently a hollow beneath the cheekbones,

whether the front cheeks have sufficient volume,

and what the skin elasticity is like.

Especially if your face is relatively thin,

you should fully consider the changes that may appear

when the fat is reduced.

The purpose of deep cheek fat removal

is not to eliminate as much facial fat as possible,

but to appropriately refine unnecessary volume.

It is important to plan in a way that tidies areas that look heavy

while preserving the face’s natural three-dimensional appearance.

Ultimately, what matters is not

“how much can be removed,”

but “what amount is appropriate for me?”

Even for the same deep cheek fat removal procedure,

the appropriate range of removal may differ depending on facial structure and fat volume,

so please make a decision after receiving a thorough evaluation and consultation.

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