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 Philadelphia clinics below and request a free consultation.
$2,500–$6,000
per procedure · USD
A general range for Philadelphia, rounded for guidance. Confirm exact pricing with each clinic.
Plastic surgeons in Philadelphia who list buccal fat removal among their procedures. Tap any surgeon to view details and request a consultation.
Philadelphia
Financing available
Subbio Plastic Surgery & Medspa is a plastic surgery practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, rated 4.9 stars across 584 Google reviews, performing 18 tracked procedures.
Philadelphia
Financing available
Bloom Facial Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, rated 4.9 stars across 304 Google reviews, performing 26 tracked procedures.
Philadelphia
Financing available
Kirk Lozada, MD, Facial Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, rated 5 stars across 246 Google reviews, performing 13 tracked procedures.
Philadelphia
StarkMD Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Center: Ran Stark M.D, FACS is a plastic surgery practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, rated 4.9 stars across 193 Google reviews, performing 30 tracked procedures.
Philadelphia
Bucky Plastic Surgery: Louis P. Bucky, MD, FACS is a plastic surgery practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, rated 5 stars across 165 Google reviews, performing 16 tracked procedures.
Philadelphia
Tina Ho, MD Facial Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, rated 4.9 stars across 72 Google reviews, performing 15 tracked procedures.
Philadelphia
Financing available
Bucky Plastic Surgery: Louis P. Bucky, MD, FACS is a plastic surgery practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, rated 4.8 stars across 219 Google reviews, performing 16 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
7 plastic surgery practices in the Philadelphia area list buccal fat removal. From Google Places listings; hours and locations change, so confirm with the practice.
What 5 Philadelphia 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 performed through incisions that are hidden within the mouth, near the molars.
patients who undergo buccal fat removal in Philadelphia typically notice more definition over 3 to 6 months as the cheeks refine
Buccal fat removal is typically performed under general anesthesia so that the patient doesnot feel any pain during the procedure.
To decrease facial roundedness, they may be interested in buccal fat removal.
Because removing too much buccal fat can lead to a gaunt appearance (especially as natural aging progresses), our surgeons take a conservative approach
Surgeons often combine buccal fat removal with procedures like a neck lift or chin implant
The recovery after buccal fat removal is usually relatively quick, but it can vary depending on the individual.
Buccal Fat Removal generally runs $2,500–$6,000 per procedure, and each Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia clinics for a personalized quote.
Maintenance schedules vary. Most Philadelphia 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.
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