BBLs out, buccal fat removal in?
The new 'It surgery' in Hollywood is all about slimming the cheeks and making cheekbones pop — and though more stars may have had the procedure than admit to it, one plastic surgeon tells The U.S. Sun that he doesn't recommend it.
"Buccal fat removal" has been all over social media for the past week — so what exactly is it?
Pronounced like "buckle," buccal fat is located in the hollows of a person's cheeks.
"Buccal fat pad removal is a procedure in which we remove fat from the inner cheek to slim the lower face and create a more contoured lower face and jawline," Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Daniel Barrett tells The U.S. Sun.
With stars and influencers chasing a "snatched" look — and honing their makeup contouring skills — more and more are turning to cosmetic procedures as a shortcut.
"We are in the era of the snatched jawline and face. The exaggerated face with the contoured cheek and angled jaw has become very popular," says Dr. Barrett.
So far, only one celebrity has admitted to getting buccal fat removal: Chrissy Teigen pointed out the results in an Instagram story in 2021.
But social media users have speculated that several more stars have had it, too, and Dr. Barrett says it looks like Bella Hadid is among them.
"It does appear Bella may have had this procedure done," he says. "She did not experience weight loss and appears to have a more angular and chiseled face and jaw."
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However, he's less convinced that some other buzzed-about beauties have surgically removed buccal fat.
Khloe Kardashian, he says, simply appears to have lost weight — which has slimmed her face down all over, not just in the hollows of her cheeks.
He believes Zoe Kravitz has not buccal fat removal but a cheek augmentation, "which in turn does reduce the lower face volume."
"However, it doesn't appear theres been a specific reduction in the buccal fat region," he says.
And he thinks Sophie Turner and Lea Michele — whose names have also popped up in the buccal fat discussion on TikTok — have simply gotten older, and their faces have aged accordingly.
"As the face ages, the cheek area does hollow out, which appears to be the case of Lea," he says.
"She definitely has a more chiseled lower face than she did in her youth, but this is a standard phenomenon for an aging face. When we are younger, our face holds more volume and fat especially in the lower cheek area."
Regardless of which celebs are popularizing the procedure, Dr. Barrett doesn't think most people should try it themselves and warns that it could make you look older in the longterm.
"This is a permanent surgery and that's why I don't typically recommend it," he says.
"Once the fat is gone, there is no restoration of it. The lower face thinning or slimming is a sign of aging, so it typically makes people look much older after the procedure.
"The weight won't typically collect in that area if there is weight gain long term."
He is also wary of getting plastic surgery because it's trendy.
"Plastic surgery trends are not a good idea and can oftentimes be regretted," he says.
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"For example, we've always performed a tasteful and natural BBL result, and we now have lots of patients seeing us for BBL reduction surgery."
Dr. Barrett previously told The U.S. Sun that he thinks Kim Kardashian has a BBL and a reversal, while little sister Kylie Jenner has similar procedures.
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