Look in the mirror while sucking through a straw. That’s what you might look like if you have your buccal fat removed.
Buccal fat (pronounced like buckle) consists of small pads of fat in each of your lower cheeks. Removing it is a quick procedure that may make your face appear more sculpted and slimmer.
Comments and videos about the cosmetic procedure have surged on social media, prompted by discussions about whether various celebrities have had their cheeks slimmed. On TikTok, the hashtag #buccalfatremoval has garnered more than 157 million views in recent weeks.
Chrissy Teigen owned up to having had her buccal fat removed last year. But videos and comments about the procedure exploded on social media this month after the actress Lea Michele posted a picture of herself on Instagram showcasing her well-defined cheeks. (Michele didn’t make any reference to the procedure in her post and hasn’t commented about the speculation. She couldn’t be reached through her representatives.)
The discussion prompted many people to begin sharing their own stories of buccal fat removal. One young woman said she had the procedure done because she always felt like her round face didn’t match her petite body. Others who were happy with the procedure shared before-and-after photos on TikTok.
But a number of TikTok videos also warn against the procedure. Buccal fat can’t regrow, and as people age and naturally lose fat from their face, the results may be shallow cheeks and a gaunt, unhealthy appearance.
The Washington Post interviewed several plastic surgeons about the procedure. Here’s what they had to say.