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 Los Angeles clinics below and request a free consultation.
$2,500–$6,000
per procedure · USD
A general range for Los Angeles, rounded for guidance. Confirm exact pricing with each clinic.
Plastic surgeons in Los Angeles who list buccal fat removal among their procedures. Tap any surgeon to view details and request a consultation.
Los Angeles
Financing available
Dr. Ariel Ourian | Ourian Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles, California, rated 5 stars across 129 Google reviews, performing 28 tracked procedures.
Los Angeles
VIP Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles, California, rated 4.9 stars across 120 Google reviews, performing 11 tracked procedures.
Los Angeles
Neal Deot, MD is a plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles, California, rated 5 stars across 95 Google reviews, performing 10 tracked procedures.
Los Angeles
Financing available
Wave Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Laser Center Los Angeles is a plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles, California, rated 4.8 stars across 443 Google reviews, performing 19 tracked procedures.
Los Angeles
Financing available
Line Plastic Surgery Center is a plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles, California, rated 4.8 stars across 390 Google reviews, performing 22 tracked procedures.
Los Angeles
Financing available
Nazarian Plastic Surgery - Dr. Sheila Nazarian is a plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles, California, rated 4.7 stars across 216 Google reviews, performing 30 tracked procedures.
Los Angeles
Financing available
Dr. Nima Shemirani - Eos Beverly Hills Rhinoplasty Center is a plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles, California, rated 4.8 stars across 162 Google reviews, performing 15 tracked procedures.
Los Angeles
CARA Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles, California, rated 4.3 stars across 77 Google reviews, performing 20 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
9 plastic surgery practices in the Los Angeles area list buccal fat removal. From Google Places listings; hours and locations change, so confirm with the practice.
What 9 Los Angeles 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.
Buccal fat removal is a procedure to remove the fat pads which are located in the cheek between the nostril and corner of mouth. Excess buccal fat results in a very full and round face appearance. It can be performed under local anesthesia.
Buccal fat removal is considered a quick procedure that can be performed on an outpatient basis.
You will usually receive localized anesthesia for buccal fat removal unless you have other plastic surgical procedures done simultaneously, in which case general anesthesia might be more appropriate.
Removing buccal fat will create more a more defined jaw and cheekbones.
Make a small incision in the cheek inside the mouth, and tease out the buccal fat pad.
Generally, the best candidates for buccal fat removal are in good health overall and have a healthy body weight but dislike the roundness or fullness of their cheeks.
Buccal Fat Removal generally runs $2,500–$6,000 per procedure, and each Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles clinics for a personalized quote.
Maintenance schedules vary. Most Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles treatments & clinics