On TikTok, millions are being exposed to homogenous images of what modern beauty should look like. Instead of round faces, we now see chiseled jaws. Hollow cheekbones. Defined chins.
“A common beauty goal is to mimic the look of a fashion model,” Dr. Steven Pearlman, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon, talks about the latest fad. “Models tend to have high cheekbones and narrow sculpted cheeks. Makeup artists spend a lot of time contouring, or demonstrating on social media how to contour, under the cheekbones for that sculpted look.”
However, not everyone can achieve this angular appearance naturally, which is why many are turning to plastic surgery to remove their “buccal fat” located in the lower cheek and jaw area.
If you’ve never heard of buccal fat (pronounced “buckle”) until now, you’re not alone. Beauty expectations are becoming more and more niche, and even psychologists Elizabeth Daniels, who has studied body image for over two decades, didn’t know such a specific body part existed.
“It’s interesting that something as specific as the fat located under our cheekbones needs to be altered to meet a beauty standard,” says Daniels, associate professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
Surgery is nothing new: model Chrissy Teigen joined the trend in October 2021. But a recent photo of Lea Michele sparked interest in the cosmetic procedure on social media. Michele has not commented on speculation about her appearance.
It’s a stark contrast to the earlier trend of fuller cheeks popularized by injectable fillers, but the ever-changing standards of beauty come as no surprise.
“We see these messages about beauty that are quite narrow, repeated and unattainable, and this prevalence is what regularly exposes people to new insecurities.”
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So what is ‘buccal fat’?
Buccal fat refers to the natural fatty tissues in the midface and lower part of the face that are responsible for the rounded shape of the jaw. Functionally, it serves as a cushion between two of the muscles of mastication: the buccinator and the masseter.
Remove it through surgery, which takes approx. At one time, it’s purely cosmetic, resulting in a slimmer, more sculpted appearance for many. A surgeon will create “a small incision inside the cheek, below the salivary duct…so that the buccal fat is gently drawn into the mouth,” describes Pearlman.
Social media is a big driver of its sudden popularity, as more and more users are documenting their experiences and results – without adequately warning about the dangers and caveats of a permanent procedure.
The obsession with creating a “tighter, slimmer silhouette” may also stem from the “selfie culture”, in which people are constantly looking at a distorted reflection of their appearance.
“When you’re kind of cropped out or blown up on the face, it makes sense that someone would alter the face in a specific way, in a way that looks modern,” says Daniels, likening the buccal fat removal look to a “duck face.” “
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Unlike lip fillers or BBLs, buccal fat removal is not reversible – a cause for concern as more young people are opting for the controversial plastic surgery.
“As we age, we tend to lose volume in the middle of the face,” explains Pearlman. “So if this is reduced at a very young age, you can look very thin and promote the aged look of your face.”
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For that reason, Pearlman says he only performs buccal fat removal for patients over 30. But on TikTok, some 21-year-olds are documenting the procedure for millions of people to see.
Possible complications, though “rare,” says Pearlman, include prolonged postoperative swelling, bruising, muscle weakness, and rarely, but not unheard of, damage to the salivary duct if the incision is too high.
“19-, 20-year-olds don’t have the full brain development to really think about all the possible side effects and long-term effects of doing this procedure right now,” cautions Daniels. “The fact that even teenagers are getting a permanent procedure in pursuit of a beauty standard worries me.”
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Now it’s buccal fat removal. But ‘what’s next?’
In the age of social media, it’s hard to resist the new wave of insecurities we didn’t know we were supposed to have. Look at the BBLs marketed to those who weren’t born with wide hips and a small waist. Or fillers that present themselves as solutions to what TikTok called the “ginger” smile. And now, buccal fat is taking over social media.
These endless cosmetic options are often heralded as ways to achieve society’s definition of “perfection”. The reality is that constantly evolving but always unattainable ideals of beauty “often profit from dissatisfactions”, creating more imperfections to constantly improve.
“What is the next?” asks Daniels. “Is it a cuticle on your little finger? It just goes to show that nothing, no part of the body, is out of the question.”
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