Cheek Reduction

Cheek Reduction Basics

As the name suggests, cheek reduction is a procedure which reduces the size of the cheeks. It is also called buccal fat extraction. Although round and full cheeks can be a sign of youth, having too much cheek fat can sometimes look strange or unappealing. When a person's cheeks are too round, they can sometimes make the face appear overly chubby.

Some people have large and chubby cheeks because they have put on significant amounts of weight. Some people have large cheeks just as a function of their genetics. Regardless of the reason, cheek reduction can help.

Cheek reductions can be performed under local or general anesthesia and with varying levels of sedation. The entire process usually takes something around an hour, although this can vary. During the procedure, the surgeon makes a small incision at the back of your mouth. This incision will cut through the buccinator muscle of the cheek and into the fatty deposits that are located on the cheek and side of the face.

The surgeon will then press out and extract some of your excess cheek fat. When he or she has removed all of the fat that is desired, the incisions will be be sutured shut. The sutures used in a cheek reduction typically are not the dissolvable sort. Patients typically have to return after about a week and a half to have the sutures removed.

Gauze will probably be placed between the molars and the cheeks, and the face may be wrapped with a dressing to help promote healing. Once the surgical staff feels that the patient is ready and stable enough, the patient can be driven home.

It is very natural to be groggy and sore for the first day or so after your surgery. Some amount of bruising and swelling is also common. However, these should go down with time. Facial tightness and soreness is also common.

When patients go home, they should be careful about what they eat. Acidic foods should be avoided, and care should be taken to keep food way from the incisions. Patients should also be careful not to probe the incisions with their tongue or to accidentally bite their cheeks when they eat.

Patients may be prescribed some form of pain medication and antibiotics. Patients are also typically instructed to use some sort of antiseptic mouthwash to help keep the incisions clean and uninfected.

People who are considering undergoing cheek reduction should realize that people often lose cheek fat as they age. Even if you have excess cheek fat now, you may not forever. If a person gets a cheek reduction and then experiences further cheek fat loss due to the natural aging process, he or she may end up with sunken or gaunt looking cheeks. This could lead to an artificially aged appearance in the future.

Cheek reduction prices vary. However, most surgeries of this sort cost somewhere between $2,000 and $5,000.