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From Round to Contoured
The vast majority of people strive to have a smoother, sleeker appearance in both their body and their face. If you have a round face, you may wish to slim down the appearance of your cheeks. Buccal fat removal, or buccal lipectomy, targets overly heavy cheeks by surgically removing the buccal fat pads. Houston buccal fat removal provider Dr. Regina Rodman can help you get the thinner facial appearance you desire by removing the buccal fat pads. These pads are responsible for the fullness and roundness of your cheeks. Easy to undergo, the operation yields aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting results that you will love.
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A Slimmer Face
Buccal fat removal is a procedure that is also referred to as a buccal lipectomy. The procedure consists of surgically removing the buccal fat pads inside your cheeks. This procedure will remove deep and embedded fat from the inside of the cheeks and can create a more balanced and slimmer face. It can also give the face a more contoured look. By scheduling your buccal fat removal with Dr. Rodman at Face Forward Houston, you are ensuring that you are getting the highest quality of care, safety, and professionalism. Dr. Rodman is world-renowned for her unrivaled results.
More Definition
Usually, patients seek this procedure out because they feel they have a wide or round face and would like a little more definition around and under their cheekbones. This procedure can reduce the width of round faces and allow the face to look slimmer and more defined. A good candidate for this procedure is someone who has round cheeks that are resistant to weight loss, dislikes the fullness of their cheeks, is in good physical health, is at a healthy weight, has realistic expectations, and does not smoke. Houston buccal fat removal providers have found patients who have older relatives who also have full cheeks, and who retain this fullness as they age, to be the best candidates.
Buccal fat removal is a procedure that is not always meant for every patient. Patients who have an already narrow face naturally should stay away from this procedure because it could cause sunken cheeks as they age. Age also plays a role in deciding if you are a good candidate or not. Young patients may still be a candidate but should look carefully at older relatives to get an idea of how their face is likely to age. As you age, your face naturally loses volume in its fat pockets. Patients who have older relatives with thin or hollow-looking faces may also lose volume in their faces when they are older. If so, this procedure might exaggerate hollow cheeks and other signs that cause your face to look older. In these cases, buccal fat removal should be modified to only partially remove fat or avoided altogether.
Personalized Care You Deserve
To find out more about buccal fat removal Houston patients are encouraged to schedule a consultation to discuss your options with Dr. Rodman. The Face Forward team looks forward to providing the personalized care and amazing results you deserve! Your Buccal Fat Removal will be performed in Dr. Regina Rodman‘s in-office procedure room located in Houston, TX.
The Day of Your Treatment
Buccal fat removal can be done in an office setting under local anesthesia or combined with other procedures and can be performed in the operating room under general anesthesia. Typically when the procedure is done in the office, the patient will arrive a little earlier than their procedure time so we can get all vitals, prep you in our in-office surgical room and can decide if you would like to be given medication to relax your nerves and make you more comfortable while the procedure takes place. The preparation, intake, and procedure normally take about one to two hours from start to finish. The incision is inside the mouth, so there are no visible scars on the face. Dr. Rodman uses a very small incision, allowing for little downtime and a quick recovery. The sutures that are used are dissolvable, so they will not need to be removed.
Bold Beauty
The recovery after buccal fat removal surgery is generally easier than other procedures. There is little downtime, and patients can typically get their procedure done on a Friday and be back to work on Monday. There is some swelling for the first two to three days but subsides after one week. The patient will need to make sure their incisions are clean and rinsed after eating, and we suggest softer food and liquids for the first two days after surgery.
After removing buccal fat, Dr. Rodman gives postoperative care recommendations. Care instructions for the surgical site and instructions for any medication needed throughout recovery are outlined in depth. We will also cover postoperative concerns that must be addressed immediately, as well as how often patients should check in with Dr. Rodman, as she monitors her patients’ recuperation closely. To guarantee each patient makes a full recovery from surgery and avoids post-treatment issues, she conducts frequent checkups. You can contact Dr. Rodman at any time during the healing process with questions or concerns.
The short answer is no. Dr. Rodman meets with every patient before the procedure, and if there is a risk that a patient will look too gaunt or hollow after the procedure, she will not recommend this procedure. For patients with excess fullness who are candidates for the procedure, patients are counseled on what to expect. This is a procedure that creates a visible but subtle change. Generally, patients will notice the change, while other people will often ask them if they’ve lost weight. The face will appear slimmer and lighter, but will not look dramatically different. Other people may notice that the patient’s face appears more defined, but will not be able to tell the patient had surgery.
To prevent patients from appearing too hollow, Dr. Rodman does the procedure in a thoughtful and careful way. She makes a small incision inside the cheek, dissects to the buccal fat pad, and then takes whatever “extra” fat comes out. The buccal fat is held together in a fibrous capsule, and when the capsule is opened, the “extra fat” pops right out! She does not pull on the fat pad or dig deeply into the cheek, as that would risk removing too much fat. There is a part of the fat pad that goes up into the temple area. Dr. Rodman does not take the extension of the buccal fat pad that fills the temple, as this might also make you look hollow. By taking just the extra fat, the result is a lighter, more defined look that is not hollow or too thin. To see examples and be reassured that patients still maintain facial volume, check out some of Dr. Rodman’s before and after photos in our gallery!
Buccal Fat removal can be done with other surgeries or by itself. It is often done with V-line surgery (jaw reduction) and genioplasty to narrow the lower face. It can also be done as part of the “Redefine by Rodman” procedure. In this procedure, buccal fat removal is combined with neck and chin liposuction, plus Renuvion skin tightening to slim and contour the entire lower face.
There are other alternative procedures you can try first before deciding if buccal fat removal is right for you. In our office, we also offer Kybella injections. These injections can be used to dissolve stubborn fat pockets in the face and neck. However, these injections are safest in the area under the chin. They can also be used to dissolve jowls in some cases. Using Kybella to dissolve the buccal fat has a very high risk of damaging other structures in the face, like the nerve that moves the face. For this reason, Dr. Rodman does not recommend Kybella for buccal fat removal. The buccal fat removal procedure is much more precise, making it much safer, and it instantly removes the fat from that area.
Each buccal fat removal procedure performed by Dr. Rodman is customized based on the patient’s anatomy and aesthetic goals. The price of a buccal fat removal procedure is affected by the total surgery time, the techniques required, and whether you combine the procedure with additional facial plastic surgeries. Buccal Fat Removal begins at less than $115 per month. *With 36-month approved financing by Patient Fi
Schedule Your Houston Plastic Surgery Consultation Today
The Face Forward process starts with a consultation. You will meet with Dr. Rodman (either in the office or via video call) to discuss the result or look you want to achieve. Dr. Rodman will review and educate you about your options and schedule you for the procedure of your choice. Follow-up appointments will be scheduled as necessary. Achieve your look and enjoy the new you! Schedule your consultation for plastic surgery in Houston at Face Forward today.
1900 North Loop West, Suite 370, Houston TX 77018
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