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Op. Dr. Murat Yaman
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 11+years exp.
- 5,000+surgeries
- 6Treatments
Turkish · English
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Facial Surgery
Buccal fat removal in Turkey
An honest guide to buccal fat removal in Turkey: what the operation changes and what it cannot, approximate prices compared with the UK, the US and Germany, who is a good candidate, how it is done, recovery, risks named by plastic surgery societies, and why the cheeks can look hollow years later.
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Prof. Dr. Ayhan Numanoğlu
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 56+years exp.
English · Turkish
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Dr. Erdem Tezel
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 37+years exp.
English · Turkish
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Prof. Dr. Özhan Çelebiler
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 44+years exp.
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Buccal fat removal in Turkey: what it is and what it is not
Buccal fat removal in Turkey — also called buccal fat extraction or cheek reduction surgery — is a short operation in which a surgeon removes part of the buccal fat pad, a pocket of fat that sits deep in the cheek between the cheekbone and the jaw. Taking some of it out can make a round lower face look slimmer and give a little more shadow below the cheekbones. It is done through a small cut inside the mouth, so there is no scar on the skin.
It is also one of the facial operations that is easiest to overdo. The buccal fat pad does not grow back, and the face naturally loses volume with age, so a cheek that looks sculpted at 25 can look hollow and older at 45. This page explains who benefits, who should not have it, what it costs in Turkey compared with home, how recovery goes and what plastic surgeons warn about. For the wider picture of face and jaw operations, see our facial surgery guide; for how a trip works in general, see how it works.
A surgeon's opinion on your photos is free. Many surgeons will tell you honestly that you are not a candidate — that answer is worth as much as a yes.
Who is a good candidate for buccal fat removal?
The operation suits a fairly small group of people. A good candidate usually has:
- a genuinely full lower cheek that stays full even at a healthy, stable weight;
- a face that is round because of the buccal fat itself, not because of the jaw muscle, the skin or general body fat;
- good skin quality and enough volume in the upper cheek and temples;
- realistic expectations: a subtle change of contour, not a different face.
It is usually not a good idea if your face is already slim or long, if you are planning to lose weight (fat loss slims the face too, and buccal fat removal in addition can leave hollows), if the fullness comes from a large masseter muscle (that is treated with botulinum toxin or, rarely, jaw surgery), or if the real concern is sagging jowls, which is a question for a facelift or mini facelift, not for removing fat. Fullness under the chin is a separate area: see double chin liposuction.
Age matters as well. Many surgeons are cautious with patients who are still in their late teens or early twenties, because facial "puppy fat" often reduces on its own, and with patients over about 40, whose cheeks are already starting to lose volume.
Buccal fat removal cost in Turkey compared with the UK, US and Germany
Buccal fat removal is one of the less expensive facial operations because it is short and usually done under local anaesthesia with sedation. The figures below are approximate private-sector ranges for the operation on its own; the exact price is confirmed in a written quote after a surgeon has seen your photos. Prices for international patients in Turkey usually include transfers and the surgeon's check-ups during your stay.
| Country | Approximate buccal fat removal cost | What is usually included |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | about €1,200–€2,500 | Surgeon, anaesthesia (local with sedation or general), operating room, medication, check-up, airport and hotel transfers; hotel nights in many packages |
| United Kingdom | about £2,500–£5,000 | Surgeon, anaesthesia and day-case facility; consultations sometimes extra |
| United States | about $3,000–$6,000 | Surgeon's fee, with anaesthesia and facility fees often billed separately |
| Germany | about €2,000–€4,000 | Surgeon, anaesthesia and day-case facility |
Approximate ranges, confirmed in a written quote. What raises the price: general anaesthesia instead of sedation, an overnight stay, and combining the operation with something else — often a chin implant, a nose job, liposuction under the chin or a facelift. Combining can make sense because you recover once, but it is worth asking whether each part is truly needed. A very low price is not a reason to travel: check who operates, where, and what happens if you need a follow-up.
How buccal fat extraction is performed
The operation usually takes 30–60 minutes for both sides. After local anaesthetic (often with sedation; some surgeons prefer general anaesthesia), the surgeon makes a cut of about one to two centimetres inside each cheek, opposite the upper molars, and away from the opening of the parotid (saliva) duct. The fat pad is gently teased out and a measured part of it is removed. The cuts are closed with dissolving stitches.
The key decision is how much to take. Careful surgeons remove only part of the pad — often a modest amount — and compare both sides, because the face has to age with what is left. Ask your surgeon how much they plan to remove, why, and what they would do if you wanted less. Most patients go home or to their hotel the same day.
Buccal fat removal recovery
Recovery is short compared with most facial surgery, but the face is swollen at first, so the result is not visible straight away.
- Days 1–3: swelling of the cheeks (often the face looks fuller than before), tightness, mild pain controlled with tablets. Soft, cool food; rinsing the mouth after meals as instructed.
- Days 4–7: swelling goes down noticeably; most people feel well enough to walk around and fly home after the surgeon's check, usually around day 3–5.
- Weeks 2–3: back to work and normal food for most people; the stitches dissolve.
- Months 1–3: the remaining swelling settles; the new contour becomes clear.
- Months 3–6: final result.
For flying soon after any operation, see flying after surgery. A trip of four to five days is usually enough for buccal fat removal on its own.
Buccal fat removal before and after: what changes
When buccal fat removal before and after photos look dramatic, the change is often helped by lighting, angle, weight loss or other procedures done at the same time. A realistic result is a slightly narrower lower face with more definition between the cheekbone and the jaw, most visible from the front and at a three-quarter angle. It does not lift sagging skin, sharpen a jawline that is not there, or change the bone.
When you look at a surgeon's photos, ask for cases at least six months after surgery, taken with the same lighting and expression, and if possible photos of patients several years later. A surgeon who only shows results at two weeks is not showing you the result.
Is buccal fat removal permanent? Regret and hollowing with age
Yes — and that is the main thing to understand. The removed fat does not come back, and the face keeps changing. With age the cheeks lose fat, bone and skin elasticity anyway. A face that had generous buccal fat at 25 may cope well with a modest reduction; a face that was never very full may look gaunt, tired or older than it is ten to twenty years later.
This is the main reason for buccal fat removal regret, and plastic surgeons have increasingly written about it as the operation became fashionable on social media. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) notes in its patient information that the result is permanent and that over-removal can make the face look hollow. Patients who are unhappy can have volume added back with fillers or facial fat transfer, but these are corrections, not a reversal, and fillers need repeating.
Practical rules that reduce the risk of regret: be at a stable weight; prefer a conservative removal; be more cautious if you are slim, active or over about 40; and let the surgeon examine your face in person before the decision is final. If a surgeon agrees to a large removal from photos alone without asking about your age, weight or how you want to look later, that is a warning sign.
Buccal fat removal side effects and risks
Complications are uncommon when an experienced surgeon operates, but the cheek contains structures that matter. The ASPS and standard plastic surgery textbooks list these risks:
- Swelling, bruising and pain — expected for days to weeks.
- Bleeding or a haematoma in the cheek, occasionally needing drainage.
- Infection of the inside-the-mouth wound, usually treated with antibiotics.
- Injury to the parotid duct, which carries saliva into the mouth near the incision.
- Injury to branches of the facial nerve (buccal branch), which can cause temporary, rarely lasting, weakness of the cheek or upper lip movement.
- Asymmetry if different amounts are removed, and over-correction (hollowing).
- Numbness or altered sensation inside the cheek, usually temporary.
Severe complications are rare in published reports, but there are no large long-term studies that measure how many patients later regret the result — which is another reason to keep the removal conservative. For an overview of safety when travelling, see is plastic surgery in Turkey safe.
Alternatives to buccal fat removal
| If the main concern is… | Usually better option |
|---|---|
| Wide lower face from a large jaw muscle | Botulinum toxin to the masseter (repeated every few months) |
| Weak or flat cheekbones | Cheek implants, fillers or fat transfer — adding volume above often slims the look below |
| Weak chin or soft jawline | Chin implants or a jaw implant |
| Fullness under the chin | Double chin liposuction |
| Jowls and loose skin | Facelift, mini facelift or neck lift |
| Generally full face with extra body weight | Weight loss first, then reassess |
Planning the trip and choosing a surgeon
Buccal fat removal in Turkey is done by plastic surgeons and by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Choose a surgeon who performs facial contouring regularly, examines your face from several angles (send front, both profiles and both three-quarter views, without make-up and smiling as well as at rest), and explains how much fat they would take and why. The operation should take place in a hospital or a licensed surgical centre with an anaesthetist present if sedation or general anaesthesia is used. Packages, transfers and hotel arrangements work as for other cosmetic operations — see how it works, the plastic surgery hub and the hospitals with their own price lists.
Cosmetic surgery is not covered by standard travel insurance; read insurance for cosmetic surgery abroad before you book.
Hospitals with Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery in Turkey
Frequently asked questions
Approximately €1,200–€2,500 for the operation on its own, depending on the anaesthesia, the hospital and what the package includes. In the UK it is roughly £2,500–£5,000 and in the US about $3,000–$6,000. The exact price is confirmed in a written quote after a surgeon has seen your photos.
It is a short operation with few serious complications when an experienced plastic or maxillofacial surgeon performs it in a hospital or licensed surgical centre. The main long-term risk is not a complication but over-removal, which can make the face look hollow with age.
Yes. The removed fat does not grow back. Your face still changes with age and weight, which is why a conservative removal is safer than a large one.
Some do, mainly when too much was removed or the face was already slim, and the cheeks look gaunt years later. Volume can be added back with fillers or fat transfer, but the operation cannot be reversed.
Most people return to work after one to two weeks. Swelling makes the face look fuller at first; the new contour shows after one to three months and the final result after about three to six months.
Usually four to five days: arrival and consultation, the operation, and a check-up before you fly. Plan longer if you combine it with other surgery.
No visible scar. The cut is inside the mouth and closes with dissolving stitches.
Swelling, bruising and tightness are normal. Less common risks are bleeding, infection, injury to the saliva duct or to a branch of the facial nerve, numbness, asymmetry and hollowing from over-removal.
You see a first change after about a month, a clear result at around three months and the final contour at about six months, once all the swelling has gone.
Yes. It is often combined with a chin implant, rhinoplasty, double chin liposuction or a facelift. Combining means one recovery, but each part should be needed on its own merits.
Surgeons generally operate on adults once the face has matured, often from the early to mid twenties, and are more cautious after about 40, when the cheeks are already losing volume.
Patient stories