Fat Extraction

In our youth, round “chipmunk cheeks” are adorable. As an adult, they can make your face look poorly defined and less attractive. When this occurs, fat extraction with Dr. Murphy can remove the unwanted volume, revealing a beautifully sculpted facial appearance.

An overview of fat extractions

Also known as buccal fat removal, fat extraction is designed to remove the tissue that exists underneath the cheekbones and makes the face appear plump, wide and full. The prominence of this tissue (or buccal fat) depends on a variety of factors, including your genetics and ethnic background – but it’s not related to weight gain. As such, losing weight won’t have an effect for most patients, making fat extraction the only way to successfully address the extra volume and achieve a more defined, angular look.

What can fat extractions accomplish?

For our patients in West Palm Beach, FL and surrounding areas with round or chubby cheeks, fat extraction offers a terrific way to achieve a more defined and mature look. When performed correctly by a skilled and experienced facial plastic surgeon, like Dr. Murphy, this procedure has the ability to create:

• Sculpted cheekbones. Defined cheekbones are a universal sign of beauty. By artistically removing the unwanted fat covering your cheeks, Dr. Murphy highlights your natural angles.
• A mature facial contour. Round cheeks can create an overly youthful appearance that prevents patients from attaining a more refined look. When this occurs, fat extraction can create a more mature facial contour.
• Slimmer facial appearance. Even though round cheeks aren’t caused by weight gain, they can give the impression that you’re heavier than you are. By removing the extra volume with fat extraction, Dr. Murphy can create a considerably slimmer appearance.

What to expect during your fat extractions

Your fat extraction can be performed fairly quickly in the comfort of Dr. Murphy’s Palm Beach Gardens office. To begin, he will administer local anesthesia to ensure your comfort and safety, before making tiny incisions inside the cheeks. Through those openings, he will apply gentle pressure to remove the fat pads that fill out your cheeks, unveiling a more sculpted, defined and slender facial appearance. If you also have extra fat around the jawline, Dr. Murphy will commonly perform precise liposuction simultaneously, to fully revitalize your face and ensure that you’re thrilled with the results. Once your unwanted volume has been removed and he has sculpted your new, angular appearance, Dr. Murphy will close the incisions with dissolvable sutures and send you home to begin the healing process.

Recovery and results

There is a fairly easy recovery period associated with fat extraction. For the first few days, it’s completely normal to experience some pain and swelling in the area. During this time, you’ll be advised to eat primarily soft foods, avoid strenuous activities and apply ice or cold compresses to keep swelling to a minimum. Dr. Murphy will also provide you with pain medication to help manage any discomfort as you heal. In terms of results, it can take several weeks for all of your residual swelling to subside, at which point your final results will be apparent.