buccal surgery in NYC

What Exactly is Buccal Surgery? | NYC Plastic Surgery Experts

woman having buccal fat examined while looking in mirror

You might have seen the way buccal fat removal took TikTok and other social media by storm; Dr. Pearlman was interviewed about the trend by USA Today.  But what exactly is buccal surgery? In NYC at Pearlman Aesthetic Surgery, we do see patients for buccal removal, but there are a few things that patients need to understand about this delicate surgery.

The basics of buccal surgery in NYC

Buccal (pronounced like “buckle”) fat removal is a surgical procedure that removes the fat pad located under your cheekbone. It provides the face with a leaner, more chiseled look. 

Cheek fat removal is a delicate process and it can’t be reversed. As with any plastic surgery, it’s important to schedule a consultation with a board certified facial plastic surgeon before signing off on this procedure. 

Are there downsides to buccal surgery?

As we age, we tend to lose facial volume, anyway. Removing your buccal fat at a young age can cause this process to happen faster. For this reason, Dr. Pearlman won’t usually perform this surgery on patients until their late 20’s to early 30’s. Patients often start to lose facial fat in their 30’s and the mid-face, where the buccal fat lives, is often one of the more common areas we treat with facial fillers in patients from their mid 30’s on.

Once the fat has been removed, there are limited ways to replace it if you change your mind. You can use fillers or injectables such as Sculptra to replace the lost volume, but that requires continual maintenance. 

Interested in learning more about buccal surgery in NYC?

Dr. Steven J. Pearlman is a dual board-certified facial plastic surgeon with the expertise to honestly assess your candidacy for buccal fat removal. Our goal at Pearlman Aesthetic Surgery is to help our patients achieve the best possible version of themselves.

Schedule your consultation to learn about what options are available to you.

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