High cheekbones have become highly wanted and inspired by celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Bella Hadid, and Margot Robbie. High cheekbones give slimmer and more youthful facial features. You can achieve this look permanently by undergoing buccal fat reduction, a procedure highly requested from many celebrities including Chrissy Teigen, who shared her experience on Instagram.
As seen on social media, people use makeup and advanced contouring techniques to achieve this look. However, Beverly Hills board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Joubin Gabbay can do this surgically and permanently to achieve a more refined, delicate result.
So, what exactly is buccal fat reduction? The buccal pocket of fat is located in the cheek, and Dr. Gabbay often combines this removal with the suction and skin tightening of the chin/neck as well as other local contouring procedures in the area. Modifying this area of cheek can transform a person’s face in a very subtle, though compelling, way.
“I perform more buccal fat reduction than probably anyone in Los Angeles,” Dr. Gabbay shares. “It is a procedure that was initially very attractive to me. My mentor, Dr. Henry Kawamoto, was a pioneer in describing the anatomy of this specific pocket of fat in the cheek.”
Simple and quick, the procedure takes less than 30 minutes, done under local anesthesia. The removal can be done by itself or at the same time as another procedure. The choice of anesthesia and approach to the surgery are made based on patient preference and whether other procedures are performed at the same time.
After numbing the area with local anesthetic, Dr. Gabbay will make a small incision in the cheek inside the mouth, and very quickly tease out the buccal fat pad. Once isolated, the buccal fat easily “pops out” of the cheek, as it has minimal connection to the other structures around it. Then, the incision is closed with dissolvable sutures.
After the procedure, there may be a small degree of swelling and some soreness in the cheek but is easily treated with over-the-counter medications. The results can be seen almost immediately, and it will continue to improve over the following days and weeks as the swelling decreases. After the first few days, patients do not have to follow any dietary or activity restrictions and can continue with their normal routines.
Dr. Gabbay’s goal of his practice is to help people achieve something that is meaningful for them. He ensures that his patients are comfortable from the first encounter, through the entire process and beyond. For Dr. Gabbay, the most important factor in successfully delivering the results his patients seek is clear and detailed communication.
“It is critical that my patient and I are on exactly the same page before we ever step foot in the operating room,” he says. Consultations go into detail to try to understand what his patient is seeking. He also explains carefully what he can deliver and what their body will allow.
Call Dr. Gabbay’s office at (310) 388-9383 or schedule a consultation online to see if you are a candidate for buccal fat removal.
