Aging changes the way our faces look, often leading to frustrating concerns like sagging jowls and a heavier jawline. Even individuals who maintain a healthy weight can notice that the lower part of their face starts to droop or appear rounder over time. These changes can add years to your appearance, making you look older or more tired than you feel. Fortunately, modern surgical techniques offer highly effective solutions to restore a more youthful, sculpted look.

Buccal fat removal for jowls is one option that can create a sleeker, more defined facial contour by addressing excess fullness in the lower cheeks. At his Beverly Hills practice, Dr. Andrew Frankel, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, offers specialized fat removal procedures tailored to help patients achieve elegant, natural-looking results. Whether performed alone or alongside other treatments like a facelift, buccal fat pad removal can be a powerful way to refresh your appearance and boost your confidence.

If you’re ready to learn how buccal fat removal could improve your facial definition and help minimize the appearance of sagging jowls, keep reading to find out if this treatment could be right for you.

Why Jowls Start to Sag and What It Means for Your Appearance

Sagging jowls occur when the skin, fat, and supportive structures in the lower face begin to lose strength and elasticity. Over time, gravity pulls these tissues downward, leading to the formation of loose skin and pockets of jowl fat along the jawline. Age, genetics, sun exposure, weight loss, and even facial expressions can all contribute to the development of jowls.

While sagging jowls are a normal part of aging, they can create an older, tired appearance that feels out of sync with how youthful and energetic you may feel inside. Many patients find that addressing jowl fat through a carefully planned fat removal procedure can restore a cleaner, more refined jawline, offering dramatic yet natural-looking facial rejuvenation.

What Is Buccal Fat and How Does It Impact Your Jawline?

To understand how buccal fat removal for jowls works, it’s important to first understand what buccal fat is and how it shapes the lower face.

Where Are Buccal Fat Pads Located?

The buccal fat pads are small, naturally occurring pockets of fat located deep within the cheeks, between the facial muscles. Everyone has buccal fat, but the size and prominence of these pads can vary significantly from person to person based on genetics and other factors. In some individuals, these pads contribute to a youthful, full-cheeked look. In others, they can create an overly round or heavy appearance, especially around the mouth and jawline.

How Does Buccal Fat Contribute to a Round or Heavy Lower Face?

When buccal fat pads are large or positioned prominently, they can blur the natural angles of the face, hiding the definition of the cheekbones, chin, and jawline. As we age, a combination of buccal fat prominence, skin laxity, and gravity can worsen the appearance of jowls and fullness around the lower face. Even with weight loss or good skincare, buccal fat does not always diminish naturally.

For those seeking a more angular, sculpted look, buccal fat removal offers a surgical solution to reduce unwanted volume and bring out the bone structure underneath.

Creating a More Sculpted Look With Buccal Fat Removal for Jowls 

Buccal fat pad removal is a targeted fat removal procedure that can create a slimmer, more contoured facial appearance. Here’s how it works:

What the Procedure Involves

During buccal fat removal surgery, Dr. Frankel makes a small incision inside the mouth, carefully locating and removing a portion of the buccal fat pad. Because the incision is placed inside the cheek, there are no visible external scars. This fat reduction surgery is typically performed under local anesthesia or light sedation, making it a relatively quick and comfortable outpatient procedure.

Why It May Help Contour the Lower Face

By strategically removing excess buccal fat, the facial structure—particularly the cheekbones and jawline—becomes more defined. Buccal fat pad removal reduces the appearance of roundness or heaviness in the lower face, offering a more youthful, elegant look. Patients often notice that their chin and jawline look sharper, and the overall facial proportions appear more balanced.

The Difference Between Fat Removal and Lifting Procedures

It’s important to note that buccal fat removal differs from a facelift or neck lift procedure. A facelift primarily lifts and repositions sagging tissues, while buccal fat removal specifically reduces excess volume. In some cases, combining fat removal with a lifting procedure offers the most comprehensive and natural-looking results. Dr. Frankel can guide you toward the best surgical options based on your individual goals and anatomy.

Who Might Be a Good Fit for Buccal Fat Removal or Cheek Slimming Surgery

Not everyone is an ideal candidate for buccal fat pad removal, so a personalized consultation with an experienced facial plastic surgeon is essential.

Signs You May Benefit from the Procedure

You may be a good candidate for buccal fat removal if you:

• Have full, rounded cheeks that you feel make your face look heavier or older
• Notice early jowl formation that softens your jawline
• Want more definition in your cheekbones, chin, or jawline
• Are in good general health and have realistic expectations for surgical results
• Have a stable weight and do not plan significant weight loss

When Buccal Fat Removal May Not Be the Right Choice

Individuals with very narrow faces, hollow cheeks, or significant midface volume loss may not be ideal candidates. Removing buccal fat in these cases could lead to an overly gaunt appearance as the face continues to age. Similarly, if significant skin laxity is present, a facelift or neck lift may be necessary to achieve the desired result. During your consultation, Dr. Frankel will carefully evaluate your facial anatomy to determine if buccal fat removal is the best treatment option for you.

Combining Buccal Fat Removal with Other Facial Contouring Options

Buccal fat removal is often combined with other facial procedures such as chin augmentation, neck liposuction, or facelift surgery to enhance the overall outcome. Combining treatments can help address multiple signs of aging and create a harmonious, natural-looking facial appearance. Dr. Frankel’s expertise in facial plastic surgery allows him to customize a treatment plan that aligns with your goals while maintaining balance and proportion.

Choosing the Right Facial Surgeon for Buccal Fat Removal in Beverly Hills

Choosing a qualified, board-certified facial plastic surgeon is key to achieving safe, natural-looking results from any facial fat removal procedure. Dr. Andrew Frankel is recognized as a leader in the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, offering his patients decades of experience and a meticulous approach to aesthetic enhancement. He carefully avoids over-resection of fat, ensuring that patients maintain youthful volume and avoid the hollowed appearance that can occur with overly aggressive fat removal.

Located in Beverly Hills, CA, Dr. Frankel combines advanced surgical techniques with a deep understanding of facial anatomy to deliver exceptional outcomes. His focus on individualized care means every procedure is tailored to highlight each patient’s natural beauty rather than creating an overdone or artificial look.

When considering buccal fat removal for jowls, trusting your care to a specialist like Dr. Frankel ensures you’re in expert hands from consultation through recovery.

Schedule a Personalized Consultation in Beverly Hills

If sagging jowls, fullness in the lower cheeks, or a lack of jawline definition are aging your appearance, it may be time to explore surgical options. Buccal fat removal offers a targeted, effective solution to reveal a slimmer, more sculpted lower face—and Dr. Andrew Frankel can help you achieve the results you desire.

Contact Dr. Frankel’s Beverly Hills office today to schedule a consultation and find out if buccal fat pad removal is right for you. A more youthful, confident you could be just one treatment away.