Some patients have asked whether or not liposuction can be used to reduce chipmunk cheeks. Unfortunately, the answer is no – liposuction is not a viable option for treating the buccal fat pad. This has to do with the fact that the buccal fat pad is surrounded by a number of important facial structures, which would be put at risk of being damaged by the liposuction device. In addition, the buccal fat pad is comprised of fatty tissue that is different than the fat layer that sits just underneath the skin surface. The latter is amenable to using a suction device to remove the fat, whereas the former requires a more specific surgical procedure to tease the buccal fat out of the cheek.
The good news is that buccal fat removal is arguably more straightforward than liposuction of the face. Buccal fat removal, like liposuction, can be done under local anesthesia (without having to go to sleep). But the surgical area being operated on is much more focused. Plus, the incisions used to perform buccal fat removal are completely hidden inside of the mouth. The swelling seen from removal of the buccal fat pad is also more limited than that typically seen with liposuction. So all in all, if you have chipmunk cheeks and want your face made slimmer, buccal fat removal is the best answer. To get this scheduled with buccal fat removal expert, Dr. John Hilinski, simply call our San Diego office today.
