Q. I have a fat face and I want to make it look thinner. I have gone to a few doctors who recommended liposuction of my face. One doctor even recommended that he would go in my mouth and take fat from my cheeks. What is your recommendation?
A. Liposuction is an excellent procedure to enhance and improve the neck and jaw area. It is a terrible procedure for the face. Fat is an excellent support structure for the face. Removing fat from the face would make your skin and facial tissues go south! This would clearly make you look older and more droopy. Unfortunately, “newcomers” to the field of aesthetic treatments do not know this fact. I will often see patients who’ve been seen by “cosmetic experts” and have already had this unfortunate operation. My job then becomes augmenting and enhancing the facial tissues that have been lost by the fat removal. When seeking a surgical intervention, make sure you seek out a board-certified facial plastic or plastic surgeon.
As far as removing fat from the cheeks, this operation will enhance your look in the short run but in the long run it may be a disaster. I spend a significant amount of time enhancing and filling patients’ loss of volume. This is done with facial fillers such as Voluma, Restylane and Radiesse, because the process of aging makes the face lose volume. Fat is a natural support for the face and therefore when the fat is removed the face will deflate and make you look older faster. I would not recommend removing fat from your face for the above reasons. Perhaps a little weight loss would help?
Dr. Carlos Wolf is a partner in Miami Plastic Surgery and is board certified. Email your questions to him at Cwolf@miamiplasticsurgery.com. Follow him at @CarlosWolfMD
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