Miguel Delgado, M.D.
San Francisco
Financing available
Miguel Delgado, M.D. is a plastic surgery practice in San Francisco, California, rated 4.9 stars across 146 Google reviews, performing 21 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. Compare San Francisco clinics below and request a free consultation.
$2,500–$6,000
per procedure · USD
A general range for San Francisco, rounded for guidance. Confirm exact pricing with each clinic.
Plastic surgeons in San Francisco who list buccal fat removal among their procedures. Tap any surgeon to view details and request a consultation.
San Francisco
Financing available
Miguel Delgado, M.D. is a plastic surgery practice in San Francisco, California, rated 4.9 stars across 146 Google reviews, performing 21 tracked procedures.
San Francisco
Financing available
Larry Fan, MD - 77 Plastic Surgery San Francisco is a plastic surgery practice in San Francisco, California, rated 4.9 stars across 111 Google reviews, performing 22 tracked procedures.
San Francisco
Ethos Plastic Surgery: Ginger Xu, M.D. is a plastic surgery practice in San Francisco, California, rated 4.9 stars across 102 Google reviews, performing 22 tracked procedures.
San Francisco
Financing available
Raj Dedhia, MD Facial Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in San Francisco, California, rated 4.9 stars across 84 Google reviews, performing 14 tracked procedures.
San Francisco
Financing available
Evan R. Ransom, MD, FACS is a plastic surgery practice in San Francisco, California, rated 4.9 stars across 76 Google reviews, performing 13 tracked procedures.
San Francisco
Financing available
The Maas Clinic San Francisco is a plastic surgery practice in San Francisco, California, rated 4.8 stars across 142 Google reviews, performing 24 tracked procedures.
San Francisco
Financing available
Statera Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery is a plastic surgery practice in San Francisco, California, rated 4.9 stars across 41 Google reviews, performing 15 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 San Francisco area list buccal fat removal. From Google Places listings; hours and locations change, so confirm with the practice.
What 7 San Francisco 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.
With a tiny incision made inside the cheeks, the buccal fat pad is extracted from the cheek area before the incisions are closed.
Anyone who desires a slimmer face, with decreased projection or fullness in the middle cheek area may be a candidate for buccal fat reduction
While buccal fat removal yields excellent results on its own, it is often combined with other facial rejuvenation techniques, such as jawline contouring or a lip lift
Buccal fat removal may be considered for individuals of any age group, and can be performed in conjunction with other facial procedures, such as a facelift
As buccal fat removal addresses the fullness in the lower cheeks, it can contribute to a more youthful and toned appearance.
He will then gently extract the buccal fat pad, before sealing the incision with dissolvable stitches.
For patients unhappy with the appearance of bulging, overly round cheeks, buccal fat removal offers an elegant cosmetic transformation and enhanced confidence.
Buccal fat removal results are often visible immediately after the procedure, with continued improvement over time as swelling subsides.
offers buccal fat removal or cheek reduction surgery for patients with this aesthetic concern to slim down the midface
Patients can undergo buccal fat pad removal using local anesthetic with or without sedation or general anesthesia that allows them to sleep through the surgery.
Buccal Fat Removal generally runs $2,500–$6,000 per procedure, and each San Francisco 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 San Francisco clinics for a personalized quote.
Initial results in 2–4 weeks, with full results developing over 3 months as collagen builds. San Francisco providers typically schedule follow-ups to track progress.
Results vary by patient, but most San Francisco providers report 6–18 months of sustained benefit from a full Buccal Fat Removal series.
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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