Buccal Fat Removal for Cheek Reduction

Chubby cheeks are charming in childhood, but most men and women want a more sculpted, defined facial contour by adulthood. While the buccal fat pads — the natural cushions of fatty tissue in the hollow of each cheek — typically slim down on their own as the face matures, some adults retain a noticeable fullness in this area that softens the cheekbones and rounds the lower face. Buccal fat removal, also called buccal lipectomy or cheek reduction, is a surgical procedure that addresses this concern directly: through small incisions placed inside the mouth, Dr. Khosh removes a precise portion of the buccal fat pad on each side, revealing the cheekbone contour beneath and producing a more angular, V-shaped lower face. Buccal fat reduction is often performed as part of a broader chin and cheek enhancement plan, and because the incisions are intraoral, there are no visible scars on the face — only a few stitches placed on the inside of each cheek.

Few facial plastic surgeons are better suited to perform buccal fat removal than Dr. Maurice Khosh. Dual board-certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Khosh is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and a Clinical Assistant Professor at Columbia University. He earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Honor Society, and was the youngest recipient of Columbia University Medical Center’s Maxwell Abramson Resident Teaching Award. Buccal fat removal is a procedure where conservative judgment matters as much as surgical technique — removing too much can create an unnatural hollowing that worsens with the natural facial volume loss of aging. As a lifelong student of figure drawing and calligraphy, Dr. Khosh brings an artist’s eye for facial proportion to every consultation, balancing the patient’s request against the long-term aesthetic of how the face will age over the coming decades. He is a perennial Castle Connolly Top Doctor and a recipient of the Best Doctors in America designation.

What Buccal Fat Removal Can Accomplish

A heart-shaped face is generally considered a feminine ideal, but excessive cheek fullness can make the face appear round — or, in some cases, square. For men, the goal is often the opposite: chiseled cheekbones and a strong, defined jawline that can be obscured when the cheeks carry too much weight. Buccal fat removal works for both. By precisely reducing the volume of the buccal fat pad, the procedure can reshape the midface into a slimmer, more angular contour that suits the patient’s natural bone structure. The fat cells removed do not grow back, making the results long-lasting in the absence of significant weight gain.

“Buccal fat removal is a procedure where restraint and judgment matter more than aggressiveness. The face will continue to lose volume naturally over the next two or three decades — and the cheekbones we accentuate today are the same cheekbones that may look hollow in twenty years if we’ve taken too much. The right amount for each patient is the amount that improves contour now and still looks good as the face ages.” — Dr. Maurice Khosh

Who Is a Good Candidate

Like any cosmetic surgery procedure, buccal fat removal is not the right choice for everyone. The procedure is best suited to patients whose excessive cheek fullness comes from genetics rather than from weight gain — buccal fat pads remain relatively stable in size regardless of overall body weight, and removing them does not address fat that has accumulated elsewhere in the face. Good candidates are healthy adults who will benefit from improved facial balance through cheek contouring, and whose facial structure has reached its mature adult form. Patients with naturally narrow or thin faces, or with low overall facial fat, are generally not good candidates — for them, the procedure can produce gaunt or prematurely aged results.

Buccal fat removal may be the right procedure for patients who:

• Have Persistent Cheek Fullness: Round or “chipmunk cheek” appearance that has not slimmed naturally with age
• Want a More Defined Midface: Desire visible cheekbone contour and a more sculpted lower face
• Have a Stable, Healthy Weight: Are at or near their long-term body weight, with no plans for significant weight loss
• Have Adequate Facial Volume: Have enough surrounding facial tissue that buccal reduction will refine rather than hollow the face
• Are Seeking Facial Balance: Are pursuing buccal reduction as part of a balanced approach to facial harmony, not as a dramatic transformation

What to Expect from the Procedure

Buccal fat removal is performed in the comfort of Dr. Khosh’s Upper East Side office, typically under local anesthesia with optional sedation. Incisions are made inside the mouth — usually a small opening on the inner cheek opposite each upper molar — to access the underlying buccal fat pad. Dr. Khosh then carefully removes a precise portion of the fat, calibrated to the patient’s individual facial proportions, and closes the incisions with dissolvable stitches. The procedure typically takes 30 to 45 minutes, and most patients return home the same day. Some swelling and mild soreness are expected during the first one to two weeks, with the final contour becoming visible over the following several months as the tissues settle.

Why Patients Choose Dr. Khosh for Buccal Fat Removal

• Artistic Proportion Sensibility: A lifelong figure-drawing and calligraphy background informs every assessment of facial balance and harmony
• Conservative Surgical Judgment: Calibrated removal that improves contour now and ages well over the coming decades
• Dual Board Certification: Procedure performed by a dual board-certified facial plastic and head and neck surgeon
• Comprehensive Midface Options: Buccal reduction can be evaluated alongside chin implants, cheek implants, or facial fillers for the most balanced overall plan
• Upper East Side Convenience: Private Park Avenue practice serving patients from across Manhattan and the tri-state area

Schedule Your Consultation in Manhattan

The right approach to buccal fat removal depends on careful evaluation of your facial structure, your goals, and how your face is likely to age in the coming decades. To learn more about buccal fat removal in New York City, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Khosh at his Park Avenue office, call (212) 339-9988 or contact us online to request an appointment.