Buccal fat removal slims the lower cheeks by taking out part of the buccal fat pad through a small cut inside the mouth, leaving no visible scar.
It is a short operation with an irreversible result, and the face naturally loses fat with age. The most important part of the consultation is deciding whether you should have it at all.
What Buccal Fat Removal involves
Through a one to two centimetre incision inside each cheek, opposite the upper molars, the surgeon gently teases out the fat pad and removes a measured portion, then closes with dissolving stitches. Only part of the pad is taken: removing too much gives a hollow look that worsens over the years.
Who is a good candidate for Buccal Fat Removal?
Suitability depends on face shape, age and what is actually causing the fullness.
- Round lower cheeks that persist at a healthy, stable weight
- Fullness that comes from the fat pad rather than from large jaw muscles
- Typically late twenties or older, once facial fat has stabilised
- Wants a subtle, permanent change
It is usually not the right choice if:
- A thin or long face, where removal will look gaunt within a few years
- Fullness caused by the masseter muscle, which is treated with botulinum toxin instead
- General weight gain, where weight loss will change the face more safely
Technique options
- Intraoral partial excision: the standard approach, no external scar
- Combined contouring: often paired with chin liposuction, a chin implant or jawline filler to balance the lower face
- Alternative: masseter botulinum toxin: for a square lower face caused by muscle rather than fat
What happens during your treatment
The operation takes 30 to 60 minutes under local anaesthesia, with sedation if you prefer. You go back to your hotel the same day. Food is soft and cool for the first few days and you rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash after eating.
Preparing for your trip
Plan for 3 to 4 days in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.
- Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
- Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
- Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
- Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly
Recovery and results
Cheeks are swollen for one to two weeks, so the face first looks fuller, not slimmer. Most people return to desk work within three to five days. The contour appears gradually over two to four months as swelling settles.
- Back to everyday activity: 3 to 5 days
- When results show: 2 to 4 months
- How long they last: Permanent and not reversible
Safety, risks and revision policy
The fat pad sits beside a branch of the facial nerve and the duct of the parotid gland, which is why this small operation still needs a trained surgeon. Risks include:
- Over-resection and a hollow, aged appearance later in life, which is difficult to correct
- Asymmetry between the two sides
- Injury to the parotid duct or a facial nerve branch, both rare
- Infection, bleeding or prolonged swelling
- Little visible change if the fat pad was not the cause of the fullness
Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.
Cost of Buccal Fat Removal in Türkiye
Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Buccal Fat Removal, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:
- The surgeon's experience and the technique your anatomy needs
- Type of anaesthesia and the length of the operation
- Nights in hospital and whether another procedure is combined
- What the package includes: tests, garments, medication, hotel, transfers, interpreter and follow-up
Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is buccal fat removal reversible?
No. Removed fat does not return. Volume can be added back later with fat transfer or filler, but the result is rarely as natural, which is why conservative removal matters.
Will it make me look older later?
It can, if too much is removed or if your face is already slim. A careful surgeon declines patients who are likely to look hollow in their forties.
How soon can I fly?
Usually within three to four days, after a check of the incisions inside the mouth.