Buccal Fat Removal in Turkey

Buccal fat removal (bichectomy) is a short operation that takes out part of the buccal fat pad, a deep pocket of fat in the lower cheek, through a small incision inside the mouth, so there is no visible scar. In carefully selected adults with genuinely full, round cheeks it can give the face a slimmer, more defined look, but the change is permanent and the wrong face can look hollow as it ages. In Turkey, packages typically cost €1,200–€2,500, and most patients plan around 5–7 days in the country.

What buccal fat removal is and how it works

Everyone has a buccal fat pad in each cheek, lying deep between the cheekbone and the jaw, beneath the facial muscles. Its size varies from person to person and can differ between the two sides, which is why some slim people still have round cheeks. The surgeon makes a short incision on the inside of each cheek, presses gently on the outside so the fat bulges into the opening, removes part of it and closes the wound with dissolvable stitches. The aim is a subtle reduction of fullness in the lower cheek, not an empty hollow.

Why this fat matters as you age

Buccal fat changes little with diet but shrinks naturally with age. That is the central trade-off: a reduction that looks sculpted at 25 can look gaunt at 50. Fullness caused by fat just under the skin, a bulky jaw muscle (masseter) or a broad bone structure is not changed by removing the buccal pad, so the cause of a round face has to be identified first.

Techniques and alternatives

If your real concern is flat cheekbones or a weak chin, adding volume with dermal fillers or chin augmentation can create more definition than removing fat, and fillers wear off. A wide lower face caused by the jaw muscle may respond to Botox. Buccal fat can also be reduced during a facelift, though this lengthens surgery and recovery.

Who is a good candidate, and who is not

• Adults, usually in their 20s or 30s, with genuinely full, round lower cheeks that look out of proportion to the rest of the face
• People at a stable, healthy weight whose cheek fullness has not changed with weight loss
• Non-smokers in good general health
• Those with realistic goals: subtle definition rather than a dramatic, filtered look

Who should not have it

• People with an already thin, narrow or long face, where removal can look gaunt
• Those with flat or underdeveloped cheekbones: a systematic review calls the procedure contraindicated here because of the risk of overcorrection
• Middle-aged or older patients who are already losing mid-face volume, since removal can deepen that hollowing
• Anyone hoping to fix jowls or a heavy lower face, which buccal fat removal does not treat
• Under-18s, people planning significant weight loss, and anyone choosing it mainly because of a trend

The procedure step by step

Recovery timeline

1. Days 1–3

   Swelling and a liquid diet

   The cheeks swell and may look fuller than before at first; opening the mouth can feel stiff. Expect liquids or very soft food and antiseptic mouth rinses after meals.

2. Days 4–7

   Soft food, back to routine

   Most people return to desk work and daily activities within a few days to a week. Keep the incisions clean and do not smoke.

3. Weeks 2–3

   Most swelling has gone

   The stitches dissolve, chewing feels normal again and light exercise can usually restart.

4. Months 3–6

   Final contour

   Residual swelling fades slowly, and the final shape is usually visible after several months.

Results and how long they last

The fat that is removed does not grow back, so the change is permanent and cannot simply be reversed: restoring volume later means fillers or fat transfer, which are less predictable. How results look after 10 or 20 years is the open question. A 2021 systematic review found only four eligible studies (121 patients), judged the evidence scarce and of low quality, and could not identify a single study with long-term follow-up. Surgeons writing about middle-aged patients warn that removing buccal fat can accentuate the hollowing below the cheekbones that comes with age. That is why conservative removal in carefully chosen patients is the safer approach.

Risks and how to reduce them

Serious complications are uncommon in published series, but the operation works close to important structures: branches of the facial nerve run over or through the fat pad, and the parotid duct, which carries saliva into the mouth, passes nearby. The main risks are:

• Over-resection: removing too much can leave the cheeks hollow or gaunt, especially as the face ages, and is hard to correct
• Asymmetry between the two sides
• Facial nerve injury: weakness of the cheek or upper lip, usually temporary but occasionally permanent
• Parotid (salivary) duct injury, which can cause a saliva leak or swelling
• Bleeding or haematoma, infection, prolonged swelling, numbness and limited mouth opening (trismus) for a few days
• A result that is too subtle to notice, or the need for revision surgery

Cost of buccal fat removal in Turkey and what's included

Basic procedure-only offers start at around €1,000, while packages that add hotel nights, transfers and an interpreter usually fall between €1,200 and €2,500. Prices vary with the surgeon, the hospital, the type of anaesthesia and whether other procedures are combined, so ask for an itemised written quote. You can get free quotes from several clinics to compare.

Choosing a clinic safely

• A plastic surgeon or oral and maxillofacial surgeon registered in Turkey who performs facial surgery regularly, never a beauty salon
• A licensed hospital or accredited surgical clinic with sterile conditions and emergency cover
• The Ministry of Health's health-tourism authorisation, the Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi Yetki Belgesi
• A clear explanation of how much fat will be removed and why, plus a written quote covering follow-up, complications and revisions
• Realistic before-and-after photos taken several months after surgery, not filtered social-media clips
• Red flags: no face-to-face examination by the surgeon, pressure to add it to another operation or guarantees of a specific look

Buccal fat removal is a small operation with a permanent effect. Good candidates are fewer than social media suggests, and the safest amount to remove is usually less than people expect.

— WhichClinic Editorial Team