Buccal Fat Removal, Thread Lift

Treatment details: Buccal Fat Removal, Thread Lift

Removing the buccal fat pad alone can leave the lower face looking hollow if the tissue above it is already descending, so threads were placed in the same session to hold the cheek where it should sit. The incision for the fat pad is inside the mouth and leaves no visible scar. At one month the swelling has resolved and the jawline contour is readable. Removing buccal fat without addressing the tissue above it can leave the midface looking hollow rather than defined, which is why the threads were placed in the same session to reposition what remains.

The incision sits inside the mouth, so eating and speaking are uncomfortable for the first days and a soft diet with mouth rinsing is required. Swelling of the cheeks peaks around the third day and settles over two weeks, and numbness usually passes. Removing too much fat can look hollow, especially as the face ages, and the two sides may differ. Bleeding, infection, and injury to nearby nerves or the parotid duct are uncommon but serious.

Threads placed at the same time create tightness when opening wide, mild puckering at the anchor points, and bruising near the temple for about two weeks. Uneven pull between the sides can be noticeable early and generally evens out. A thread occasionally stays palpable or irritates the tissue and is then removed. Infection is uncommon. Because the threads absorb, support decreases over roughly a year and repeat placement is required.