A short procedure that removes the buccal fat pad from the lower cheek to create a more sculpted, hollowed look, and the operation most likely to be regretted if done at the wrong age. Compare Atlanta clinics below and request a free consultation.
$2,500–$6,000
per procedure · USD
A general range for Atlanta, rounded for guidance. Confirm exact pricing with each clinic.
Plastic surgeons in Atlanta who list buccal fat removal among their procedures. Tap any surgeon to view details and request a consultation.
Atlanta
Evelina Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics: Dr. Katherine B. Santosa, MD, MS is a plastic surgery practice in Atlanta, Georgia, rated 5 stars across 248 Google reviews, performing 16 tracked procedures.
Atlanta
Financing available
Arslanian Plastic Surgery: Dr. Brian Arslanian is a plastic surgery practice in Atlanta, Georgia, rated 4.9 stars across 213 Google reviews, performing 22 tracked procedures.
Atlanta
Élevé Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery; Dr. Olatomide (Tomi) Familusi, is a plastic surgery practice in Atlanta, Georgia, rated 5 stars across 173 Google reviews, performing 25 tracked procedures.
Atlanta
Aesthera Plastic Surgery by Dr. CV Chegireddy is a plastic surgery practice in Atlanta, Georgia, rated 4.9 stars across 106 Google reviews, performing 17 tracked procedures.
Atlanta
Oculus Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in Atlanta, Georgia, rated 4.9 stars across 106 Google reviews, performing 7 tracked procedures.
Atlanta
Mirzabeigi Atlanta Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in Atlanta, Georgia, rated 4.9 stars across 101 Google reviews, performing 24 tracked procedures.
Atlanta
Kerolus Facial Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in Atlanta, Georgia, rated 5 stars across 83 Google reviews, performing 11 tracked procedures.
Atlanta
Dr. Sabine Lovell - Lovell Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in Atlanta, Georgia, rated 5 stars across 77 Google reviews, performing 18 tracked procedures.
A short procedure that removes the buccal fat pad from the lower cheek to create a more sculpted, hollowed look, and the operation most likely to be regretted if done at the wrong age.
One procedure, permanent and not reversible
3 to 7 days of visible swelling, final result at 3 to 6 months
Adults typically over 25 with genuinely full lower cheeks that have persisted at a stable, healthy weight, who understand the change is permanent
14 plastic surgery practices in the Atlanta area list buccal fat removal. From Google Places listings; hours and locations change, so confirm with the practice.
What 14 Atlanta practices that list buccal fat removal say on their own websites (checked September 2026); one that does not mention something may still offer it, so ask at your consultation.
Very little downtime is required after a Buccal Fat Removal, which is a plus for many patients in Atlanta. Recovery is relatively simple. Most patients don’t require any pain medication and can return to work the next day.
For those with wide cheeks caused by excess buccal fat, a simple outpatient procedure called buccal fat removal leaves no scars and is an attractive solution.
The buccal fat removal procedure is often performed with local anesthesia only or with light intravenous sedation for a more relaxed experience.
Prime candidates for Atlanta buccal fat removal are healthy non-smokers with realistic expectations. Those with naturally high cheekbones are best suited to the procedure, although anyone with an overabundance of buccal fat may be considered.
The buccal fat removal procedure is relatively brief and painless, traditionally taking just under an hour. The recovery process typically takes 3-5 days, and final results are visible after several weeks when all swelling has dissipated.
Buccal Fat Removal generally runs $2,500–$6,000 per procedure, and each Atlanta clinic sets its own price. The biggest variables are the provider's experience level and the specific device or product used. Newer technology and senior injectors price at the upper end. Pricing is quoted in US dollars (USD). Request a consultation from any of our listed Atlanta clinics for a personalized quote.
Maintenance schedules vary. Most Atlanta providers recommend periodic refresh sessions every 6–12 months once optimal results are achieved.
Most patients wait 24 hours before applying makeup to avoid irritation on freshly-treated skin.
It is a distinct, encapsulated pad of fat sitting in the hollow of your cheek, separate from the fat layer just under the skin. It is not the same thing as general facial fullness or weight. Removing it narrows the lower cheek specifically. Because it is a discrete structure, the result is predictable, and because it does not grow back, the result is permanent.
Faces lose volume with age, naturally and progressively. Fullness in your twenties often becomes hollowness in your forties without any surgery at all. Removing the buccal fat pad accelerates that trajectory permanently, and a result that looks sculpted at 25 can look gaunt at 45. Many surgeons decline to perform it on younger patients for exactly this reason, and that refusal is good judgment rather than lost business.
Not really. The pad cannot be put back. Volume can be restored with fillers or fat grafting, which means ongoing cost and maintenance for the rest of your life to replace something you paid to have removed. Treat this as a permanent decision, because functionally it is.
Nationally, $2,500 to $6,000, which makes it one of the least expensive procedures on this list. That affordability, combined with heavy social media promotion, is part of why it is so frequently performed on people who are poor candidates. Low cost is not a reason to have an irreversible operation.
Someone with true buccal fat pad prominence, meaning full lower cheeks that persist even at a stable healthy weight, who is old enough that their facial fat distribution has settled, generally mid-twenties and beyond, and who understands the aging trajectory. Someone who simply wants a more contoured face and has seen it online is usually better served by makeup, weight stability, or nothing at all.
Explore other treatments and clinics available locally.
All Atlanta treatments & clinics