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Buccal fat is the fat that exists from the temples to the bottom of the cheekbones, and when it is too much or hangs down, it causes marionette lines and nasolabial folds.
"Buccal fat removal" is a method to remove an appropriate amount of this buccal fat. Immediately after the operation, swelling and pain will occur, but it will be alleviated in about a week , and the slackness will be improved by physically reducing the amount of fat, and a small face effect can be expected .
However, buccal fat removal does not improve all facial sagging. Although there are deep wrinkles and sagging such as marionette lines, buccal fat removal may not be indicated . Therefore, in order not to be "ineffective", it is necessary to know the effect obtained by removing buccal fat.
In addition, knowing the risks and how to deal with them in advance allows you to receive the treatment with peace of mind.
Table of contents
Facial fat includes subcutaneous fat that easily sticks around the chin, fat mass "mailer fat" on the cheeks, and fat called "buccal fat".
Subcutaneous fat and mailer fat are located just below the skin, but buccal fat is the "masseter muscle" that becomes stiff when clenching teeth and the "buccinator muscle" that is used when pulling the corner of the mouth outward. It is sandwiched between "kin)" and is located deeper (inside) than the subcutaneous fat.
It is a yellow fat that exists as a mass from the temples to the bottom of the cheekbones, and is also called "cheek fat" or "cheek fat pad".
Subcutaneous fat is thin and evenly distributed under the skin, and has roles such as controlling body temperature, storing energy, and protecting against external stimuli. On the other hand, buccal fat is said to help babies suck breast milk, act as a cushioning material when chewing with teeth, and secure space for permanent teeth, but it has not been fully investigated. Hmm.
Buccal fat is on the upper side of the temples until around the 20s, but as it gets older, it loses gravity and gradually hangs down (hangs down). If it hangs down, the mouth will sag and marionette lines and nasolabial folds will appear, which may obscure the bulge and face line .
In addition, buccal fat is considered to be fat that does not decrease or disappear even if subcutaneous fat is lost due to malnutrition.
To remove buccal fat, make an incision in the oral cavity about 5 mm to 2 cm and take out an appropriate amount of buccal fat .
Buccal fat is born less and more, and tends to hang down with age.
For both women and men, if a large amount or drooping affects the face line, removing the appropriate amount will cause wrinkles due to sagging such as blister, face line disorder, marionette line and nasolabial fold. Will be improved.
Since it is said that once removed, it will not increase thereafter, the effect of buccal fat removal will be semi-permanent, and it can be said that the small face effect due to the clean face line can be maintained for a long period of time .
It is not indicated if the face is low in fat and the cheeks are dented .
Redness and internal bleeding may occur for about 2 weeks after removing buccal fat, but since the incision is made in the mouth, the scars from the incision are not noticeable.
In addition, since the incision is about 1 cm to 2 cm, swelling and swelling disappear, and the downtime to return to the post-surgery state tends to be short .
Although there are individual differences, the peak of swelling tends to subside by the next day or so. Internal bleeding can prolong the swelling, but most of the time, one week after surgery, you can spend it as usual .
1 week | Swelling, pain, heat, dullness, itchiness, and bruising may occur, but disappear over time. |
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2-3 weeks | Internal bleeding occurs when removal takes time or small blood vessels are damaged, but disappears over time |
3 months | As a guideline for completion, the scratched part that was hard after 3 months will be gradually improved. |
I have pain for about a week after surgery, but antibiotics and painkillers are prescribed and it subsides over time.
Buccal fat removal surgery is performed on a day trip, so there is no hospitalization, but it is common to be instructed to go to the hospital once to four times to see the progress after surgery.
You will be prompted to go to the hospital one week, two weeks, one month, three months, etc., but the timing will vary depending on the progress and medical institution, so please follow the instructions of the medical institution.
Sutures are made with meltable or insoluble threads. In the case of meltable thread, it will be absorbed in about 2 weeks, but in the case of suturing with insoluble thread, it is necessary to remove the thread 1 to 2 weeks after surgery .
For 7 to 10 days after surgery until the swelling and pain subside, refrain from bathing, exercising, drinking alcohol, and other activities that improve blood circulation .
It may be difficult to open your mouth wide for about 3 days to 1 week after surgery, but you will be able to eat after about 2 to 3 hours . However, for about a week, refrain from stimulating foods such as spicy foods and hot foods.
Gargling may be recommended for about 3 days after surgery, but you may be able to use a toothbrush from that day if you are careful about the wound. Follow the instructions of your medical institution.
It is possible from the day .
It is recommended that you refrain from smoking for about a month after surgery, as smoking can impair blood flow and prolong downtime.
Subcutaneous fat is also present on the face, and by reducing subcutaneous fat instead of buccal fat, it may be possible to improve marionettes and nasolabial folds due to sagging, and to have a small face effect .
Since buccal fat was not the cause of the sagging, it should be avoided that the cheeks look sick and old after removing the buccal fat. Therefore, the treatment is performed after identifying the indication. In addition, the combination of buccal fat and removal of subcutaneous fat may effectively improve sagging and reduce the face.
In addition, if there is sagging due to bone atrophy or loss of fat volume with aging, the method of injecting fat or hyaluronic acid may be selected.
Liposuction |
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An incision is made about a few millimeters in the area where subcutaneous fat is a concern, and a thin tube called a cannula is inserted through it to suck the subcutaneous fat . After the operation, the suction part is sutured and then compressed and fixed. Not only around the cheeks and chin, but also the subcutaneous fat of the body such as the upper arm, abdomen, and thighs can be sucked. It is painful for about 3 days after the operation, but the thread is removed in about 1 week, and the scar becomes inconspicuous in about 1 month. It is said that the hardness and unevenness of the skin will disappear after about half a year. |
Mailer fat removal |
Mailer fat is a fat located under the eyes and above the cheeks. Originally a large amount, or when it hangs down with age, bears under the eyes stand out and cause nasolabial folds. To remove mailer fat, an incision is made in the nose or mouth, a cannula is inserted, and suction is performed. As with buccal fat removal, there are no scars left on the surface of the face. The discomfort, pain and swelling after surgery subside in about a month. |
Fat dissolving injection |
Destroy fat cells by injecting the drug . The destroyed fat cells are excreted from the body together with urine and stool by the cells "macrophages" that prey on the dead cells, and fat is reduced. Although swelling occurs immediately after the procedure, it is said that the effect can be felt after about 3 days. Because it is an injection procedure, it can be applied to small areas such as the eyelids and nose. |
Liposuction is a method of removing subcutaneous fat, which is different from buccal fat removal . Disorders of the face line due to subcutaneous fat, such as sluggishness around the chin, can be expected to be improved by performing liposuction.
Fat injection |
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Collect fat from your thighs and inject it into the dents around your eyes, dents on your cheeks and temples, and wrinkles. By physically lifting dents and wrinkles, improvement of unevenness can be expected. After surgery, symptoms such as mild pain, swelling, and internal bleeding appear at the injection site, and internal bleeding and muscle pain appear at the fat collection site, but they subside in about a week. Once established in about 6 months, the volume will not decrease and long-term effects can be expected. |
Hyaluronic acid injection |
By injecting hyaluronic acid, which is originally in the body, under the skin, it forms the nose, improves wrinkles, makes the lips and cheeks plump, raises the cheeks, forms tear bags, and rounds the forehead.・ Lead to improvement of various problems such as chin formation. The duration depends on the type of hyaluronic acid, but it is said to be about one year, and if it does not reach the desired shape, it can be dissolved with the solubilizer "Hyaluronidase". |
Causes of sagging face include the following, and are not limited to buccal fat and subcutaneous fat drooping or loss.
Buccal fat and subcutaneous fat are supported by the supporting ligaments, SMAS layer, and firmness of the skin, so if these supports become loose and cannot support the fat due to aging, they will gradually sag under the force of gravity.
Therefore, it can be said that it effectively improves the sagging by improving the loosening of the tissue that supports the subcutaneous fat .
Face lift |
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An incision is made in the inconspicuous area of the skin around the temples from the ears, and the skin and subcutaneous tissue are pulled up to improve sagging. Depending on the symptoms, loosening of the ligaments and SMAS layer may be adjusted, and subcutaneous fat may be removed at the same time. After the operation, the fixing band was put on for about 2 days and the thread was removed 5 to 10 days later. It is said that the swelling subsides in about 3 months and the scars become inconspicuous after 6 months. |
Thread lift |
By inserting a thread under the skin , the slack is pulled up by the thread being caught. Since no skin incision is made, there is less downtime such as swelling and swelling than facelist surgery, but since the skin tissue is physically pulled up, if it is a meltable type thread that can be expected to be effective immediately afterwards, the thread is inserted. The skin tissue regenerates around it, activating cells called fibroblasts that produce collagen and elastin. As a result, the effect of gradually recovering the firmness and elasticity of the skin can be expected . |
Hythe treatment |
By irradiating hyphen (ultrasonic waves) from above the skin without cutting the skin, it acts on the fascia that covers the facial muscles called the SMAS layer. The SMAS layer of protein that exists under the skin is contracted by the heat of ultrasonic waves to increase the slack . It is known as a treatment that acts on the SMAS layer without cutting the skin, but by changing the depth of the acting skin, it also reduces subcutaneous fat and improves the firmness and elasticity of the skin by stimulating the fibroblasts of the skin. You can expect it . |
If the gills are stretched due to the development of the masseter muscle, it can be expected to make the gills slender by injecting botulinum into the gills.
The drug used for injection of botulinum is a type of protein extracted from Clostridium botulinum, which is also the causative agent of food poisoning, and is called botulinum toxin.
It is not a sagging treatment because it has a function to relax the muscles, but if you have a problem with the face line and want a small face effect, and you have an erection due to the development of the masseter muscle , botulinum injection is also included. It may be done .
Buccal fat removal is a surgical procedure in which an incision is made in the mouth to remove fat. As a result, the risk is not zero, so it can be said that there are disadvantages.
However, the risks listed below can be avoided by experienced doctors .
The area where buccal fat is located is where the facial nerve and parotid ducts pass, which can be damaged during the process of removing buccal fat. Wounding of the facial nerve causes facial nerve paralysis, and damage to the parotid gland causes swelling by obstructing saliva flow.
In addition to damage to the facial nerve and parotid gland, buccal fat removal may cause the following risks and troubles.
If such symptoms appear, improvement can be expected by fat injection, reoperation, and other cosmetological treatments.
If you take too much or there is a difference between the left and right, you can expect improvement by injecting fat.
As you get older, your temples and cheeks gradually become depressed due to thinning of bones and weakening of facial muscles, but it can be said that buccal fat maintains volume, so when removing it, changes due to aging The appropriate amount is removed while imagining.
If buccal fat removal improves, but the small amount removed does not help, consider reoperation.
Immediately after surgery, there is swelling and inflammation, and it is said that scars are likely to remain .
Therefore, when re-surgery is performed, it is recommended to consult with a doctor when the swelling and inflammation caused by the first surgery have subsided, and as a guide, after 4 months.
For those who wish to remove buccal fat, it is often the case that subcutaneous fat causes sagging instead of buccal fat.
If the cause is subcutaneous fat, the result may be "I have had buccal fat removal but it is ineffective".
In that case, improvement can be expected by performing " cosmetological treatment that reduces subcutaneous fat ".
(1) Counseling / examination
Counseling and medical examination will be conducted to see if buccal fat removal is suitable as a way to improve your worries. If you have any concerns or concerns about surgery, we will consult with you at this time.
(2) Face washing and cleansing
Cleanse and cleanse your skin by removing makeup.
(3) Surgery after anesthesia
When the anesthesia is effective, surgery will be performed. An incision of about 5 mm to 2 cm is made in the oral cavity, the buccal fat is excised with scissors, removed, and sutured. The stitching is about 2 stitches on each side.
(4) Finish
After surgery, depending on the medical institution, you may need to wear a face band for 20 to 60 minutes to rest. After that, if there is no problem, you will return home.
Makeup is possible after surgery. The surgery itself takes about 15 minutes .
Local anesthesia and intravenous anesthesia are used to remove buccal fat. Since the surgery is performed after the anesthesia is effective, there is no pain during the surgery. Both local anesthesia and intravenous anesthesia are injection anesthesia. Intravenous anesthesia is given to the arm and local anesthesia is given to the oral cavity. In the case of local anesthesia, laughing anesthesia and surface anesthesia may be used together for those with weak pain.
In addition, some medical institutions use general anesthesia, so please check with your medical institution for details.
Buccal fat removal is a free practice and is not covered by insurance. The amount varies depending on the medical institution, and the market price is around 170,000 to 440,000 yen . Depending on the medical institution, the cost of compression band and anesthesia may be included, so please check with the medical institution for details.
Buccal fat removal is one of the most difficult cosmetological treatments because it requires a good sense of beauty while imagining the finish.
However, if you are a doctor who can judge the fat to be taken and the fat to be left and is familiar with anatomy such as the skeleton and how to attach fat, the risk of taking too much or causing a difference between left and right is low.
In addition, methods other than buccal fat removal may be suitable, or more effects can be expected by combining with other methods, so receive multiple counseling and select a doctor / medical institution that is convinced of the treatment policy. please.