What is Buccal Fat removal? Cost and more explored as Lea Michele selfie highlights viral celebrity trend

American actress Lea Michele's new picture has put the spotlight on the viral celebrity trend of buccal fat removal, which results in thinner cheeks.

On December 12, 2022, the 36-year-old star took to her Instagram handle to share two selfies where her hollowed cheeks are quite evident.

The pictures were captioned as:

"Lucia the morning after she played albie."

However, Michele is not the only Hollywood celebrity who has gone under the knife to attain a certain beauty standard.

She joins the ranks of celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, Zoë Kravitz, Megan Fox, Kim Kardashian, Margot Robbie, Eiza González, Bella Hadid, Angelina Jolie, and Demi Moore, all of whom have had buccal fat removal.

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All you need to know about Buccal Fat removal procedure

According to Healthline, a buccal fat pad is a mass of fat located in the middle of the cheek, between facial muscles, and below the cheekbone. This lump of fat pad affects the shape of your face.

The website states that a buccal fat removal is a form of plastic surgery which reduces the bulkiness of the cheeks. During the procedure, the fat mass from your cheeks is surgically removed, resulting in sharper facial angles.

However, the procedure is not for everyone as the physician might go through certain checkpoints to ensure you are an ideal candidate.

You might not qualify for the surgery if:

1. You have a narrow face: The buccal fat removal procedure is done to remove the mass beneath your cheeks to define your face. However, if your face is naturally thin, the procedure might cause sunken cheeks as you age.
2. You have Parry-Romberg syndrome: Your physician might turn down your request if you suffer from Parry-Romberg syndrome, a rare disorder that causes the facial skin to shrink.
3. You have aged: When you get older, your skin loses fat naturally. The surgery might highlight jowls and other symptoms of facial aging.

According to the website, the beauty procedure costs somewhere between $2,000 and $5,000. But that depends on the surgeon's experience, the type of anesthesia, and the medication prescribed.

Like every cosmetic procedure, this surgery might also have some possible complications. The list includes:

• excessive bleeding
• infection
• negative reaction to anesthesia
• hematoma
• lockjaw
• seroma (fluid accumulation)
• salivary gland damage
• facial nerve damage
• deep vein thrombosis
• cardiac or pulmonary side effects
• excess removal of fat
• facial asymmetry
• poor results

Other unusual symptoms include chest pain, excessive bleeding, infection, abnormal heartbeat, and severe pain.