# Buccal Fat Removal

> Buccal fat removal is a December 2022 social media debate sparked by Lea Michele's viral selfie that split Twitter and TikTok between cheekbone enthusiasts and 'round-faced girlies' proudly embracing their cheeks.

Buccal fat removal is a cosmetic surgery procedure that went from obscure Hollywood secret to viral internet debate in December 2022. After a selfie from actress Lea Michele sparked speculation about her newly sculpted cheekbones, Twitter and TikTok erupted with memes, before-and-after celebrity comparisons, and heated arguments about whether the procedure was a dangerous trend or a personal choice. The discourse split the internet between those chasing chiseled jawlines and "round-faced girlies" proudly embracing their cheeks.

## Origin
The buccal fat pad is present at birth and gives babies their characteristic round-cheeked look. For many people, its volume sticks around into adulthood, creating a fullness that some find undesirable[6]. While the surgery itself dates back decades, it stayed largely under the radar until model Chrissy Teigen brought it into public conversation in October 2021. "I did that Dr. Diamond buccal fat removal thing here," Teigen said in an Instagram story, pointing to her cheeks. "Since I quit drinking, I'm really seeing the results, and I like it"[6].

The real explosion came in December 2022. Several high-profile actresses and models appeared with noticeably more sculpted faces, including rumored procedures on Bella Hadid, Zoe Kravitz, Megan Fox, and Lea Michele[5]. On December 10, 2022, Twitter user @FILLEFATALE tweeted about the sudden popularity of the procedure in Hollywood, calling it a "pandemic." The post picked up over 380 retweets and 4,800 likes[5].

Two days later, on December 12, Twitter user @brokebackstan quote-tweeted a photograph of Lea Michele with the caption "jaw filler and buccal fat removal running through hollywood like tomb raider." That tweet blew up to over 3,900 retweets and 85,600 likes in a single week[5]. Michele's selfie, which showed a dramatically more chiseled jawline than fans were accustomed to, became the single image most associated with the discourse[8]. "Miss your cute cheeks. Why did you do that to your face?" one commenter wrote on her Instagram post[8].

- **Platform:** Twitter (viral spark), TikTok (trend spread)
- **Creator:** @FILLEFATALE (early viral tweet), @brokebackstan (viral Lea Michele tweet)
- **Date:** 2022

## Overview
Buccal fat removal involves surgically removing the buccal fat pad, a mass of fat tissue located in the hollow of each cheek between the cheekbones and jaw[1]. The procedure, which takes between 20 and 60 minutes under local anesthesia, aims to create a slimmer, more contoured facial appearance with more pronounced cheekbones[6]. A surgeon makes a small incision on the inside of each cheek, below the salivary duct, and extracts a portion of the fat pad before closing with dissolvable stitches[9].

The procedure had existed for at least 50 years before going viral[6]. But when a wave of celebrities appeared on red carpets and Instagram feeds with dramatically altered cheekbones in late 2022, the internet turned buccal fat removal into both a beauty obsession and a punchline. The #BuccalFatRemoval hashtag racked up over 140 million views on TikTok[4], spawning everything from earnest surgical journey vlogs to memes about hoarding removed fat for resale[1].

## How It Spread
Once @brokebackstan's tweet went viral, buccal fat removal became inescapable on social media. On December 13, 2022, Twitter user @jzux shared a post about the trend that pulled in over 6,200 retweets and 105,700 likes within a week[5]. The same day, user @TinctureDrone posted a joke riffing on the "They Did Surgery on a Grape" meme, earning over 760 retweets and 11,200 likes[5]. On December 14, @korysverse posted a meme that grabbed 3,900 retweets and 49,600 likes[5].

TikTok became the procedure's second home. Videos flooded For You pages showing celebrity before-and-after comparisons, personal surgical journey documentation, and extreme contouring tutorials meant to mimic the look without going under the knife[2]. The hashtag #BuccalFatRemoval crossed 135.5 million views, with #BuccalFat adding another 48.4 million[3]. People as young as 21 were filming their procedures for millions of viewers[2].

By late December 2022, major outlets including USA Today, Rolling Stone, NBC News, and Vogue were covering the trend[1][2][3][11]. USA Today noted that the procedure was "a stark contrast from the previous trend of fuller cheeks popularized by injectable fillers"[2]. Rolling Stone tracked how the discourse went from "procedure speculation to buzzword, to full-on meme" in under a month[1].

On January 15, 2023, Twitch streamer Pokimane posted a TikTok video warning her young audience against rushing into the procedure. "Throughout your twenties, your face will still continue to change a little bit," she said, adding that there were "lots of natural ways you can improve your face shape"[7]. The video hit over 440,000 views and was picked up by gaming and entertainment outlets[7].

## How to Use
Buccal fat removal memes typically take a few forms:
1. **Celebrity before-and-after comparisons** — Side-by-side photos of a celebrity's face from different years, usually captioned with speculation about whether they had the procedure. Often formatted as a simple two-image post with minimal text.
2. **Round-face pride posts** — Photos or videos celebrating fuller cheeks, usually captioned with something like "my buccal fat stays" or "round-faced girlies stand up." Common on TikTok as selfie slideshows set to upbeat audio.
3. **Trend cycle jokes** — Posts predicting that fuller cheeks will come back in style and mocking the permanence of removing fat that can't be replaced. Often reference the BBL trend reversal as precedent.
4. **Hollywood pandemic format** — Tweets describing buccal fat removal as spreading through celebrity circles like a virus, typically paired with red carpet photos showing multiple stars with similar sculpted faces.

## Cultural Impact
The buccal fat removal discourse became a flashpoint for broader conversations about social media's role in manufacturing beauty standards. NBC News covered the counter-movement of users pushing back on the trend[3]. USA Today framed the procedure as the latest in a cycle where "endless cosmetic options are often advertised as ways to achieve society's definition of perfection"[2].

The conversation reached gaming and streaming communities when Pokimane used her platform to warn young followers, making her one of the first major streamers to weigh in on a cosmetic surgery trend[7]. This wasn't her first time addressing beauty standards. She had previously called out "deceitful" influencers for lying about cosmetic work[7].

Vogue published a deep analysis of how the celebrity transformation obsession was harming collective self-esteem, with psychology professor Viren Swami warning that "when you start viewing celebrities as a combination of body parts that you are going to be the judge of, the likelihood is that you will end up treating other people in your life and yourself in the same way"[11].

Plastic surgeons reported that TikTok trends directly impacted the questions patients asked during consultations, though facial plastic surgeon Dr. Ashley Guthrie told the Oakland Post that her professional judgment stayed the same regardless of what was trending: "I'm still going to evaluate them and determine whether I think it's appropriate"[9].

## Fun Facts
- The procedure costs anywhere from $2,000 to $40,000 depending on the surgeon and location[4][1].
- Plastic surgeon Dr. Benjamin Talei noted that buccal fat pads are full of stem cells, unlike almost anywhere else in the body except the eyes[8].
- The word "buccal" is pronounced "buckle," which many people learned for the first time during the December 2022 discourse[1][2].
- Rachel OCool, the makeup artist whose round-face tutorial went viral with 5.3 million views, said she had once considered getting the procedure herself before makeup school changed her perspective[3].
- Sophie Turner blamed bulimia-related facial bloating for her changing appearance, not surgery, saying "you can never win" regardless of the truth[10].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is buccal fat removal?
Buccal fat removal is a cosmetic surgery procedure that removes fat pads from the cheeks to create a more contoured, sculpted facial appearance with more pronounced cheekbones and a defined jawline[6].

### Where did the buccal fat removal meme come from?
The online discourse exploded in December 2022 after actress Lea Michele posted an Instagram selfie showing a noticeably more angular face, and Twitter user @brokebackstan's quote tweet about it earned over 85,000 likes in one week[5].

### What does buccal fat removal mean as a meme?
As a meme, buccal fat removal represents the absurdity of ever-shifting beauty standards and the internet's ability to turn a niche cosmetic procedure into a mass cultural debate, complete with jokes, body positivity counterattacks, and celebrity speculation[1].

### How do you use buccal fat removal memes?
The most common formats include posting celebrity before-and-after comparisons, making jokes about the trend cycle of beauty standards, or celebrating fuller faces as a counter-movement[3].

### Is buccal fat removal still popular as a meme?
The peak of the discourse was December 2022 through early 2023, though celebrity speculation threads and body positivity responses still surface when new red carpet photos spark fresh debates[10].

### Which celebrities have been accused of having buccal fat removal?
Chrissy Teigen confirmed having the procedure[6]. Others speculated to have had it include Bella Hadid, Zoe Kravitz, Megan Fox, Lea Michele, Demi Moore, Dove Cameron, Erin Moriarty, and Anya Taylor-Joy, though most have not confirmed it[10][5].

### Why is buccal fat removal controversial?
The procedure is irreversible, and as faces naturally lose fat with age, patients may look gaunt in later years. Dr. Vasyukevich warned that "what looks good on people when they're younger is not necessarily going to look good when they are in their forties and fifties"[1].

### What did Pokimane say about buccal fat removal?
On January 15, 2023, Pokimane posted a TikTok urging young fans not to rush into the procedure, saying their faces would naturally slim throughout their twenties and they should explore natural alternatives first[7].

### How much does buccal fat removal cost?
Estimates range from $2,000 to $40,000 depending on the surgeon, location, and whether additional procedures are done at the same time[4][1].

### Can buccal fat removal be reversed?
No. The buccal fat pad does not naturally restore after removal, and the area of the cheek where it sits does not respond well to filler replacement, making the procedure essentially permanent[9].

### How long does the buccal fat removal procedure take?
The surgery takes between 20 minutes and one hour, depending on the surgeon and whether it's done alongside other procedures, with recovery involving about two to three weeks of swelling[1][9].

### What is the body positivity response to buccal fat removal?
A significant counter-movement emerged on TikTok and Twitter, with users posting videos celebrating their round faces and encouraging others to resist trend-driven cosmetic procedures. Makeup artist Rachel OCool's tutorial on accentuating round faces got over 5.3 million views[3].

## References
1. [Chrissy Teigen Had Buccal Fat Removal: A Celebrity Plastic Surgeon Breaks Down the Procedure](<https://people.com/health/chrissy-teigen-buccal-fat-removal-plastic-surgeon-breaks-down-the-procedure/>)
2. [Pokimane warns against Buccal fat removal trend - Dexerto](<https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/pokimane-warns-against-buccal-fat-removal-trend-2042275/>)
3. [29 Celebrities Accused Of Ruining Their Beauty With Buccal Fat Removal | Bored Panda](<https://www.boredpanda.com/celebrities-who-are-suspected-of-having-buccal-fat-removal/>)
4. [Buccal Fat Removal - Know Your Meme](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/buccal-fat-removal>)
5. [TikTok](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok>)
6. [Buccal fat removal: What it is, and why TikTok’s divided on it](<https://www.mic.com/life/buccal-fat-removal-tiktok-chrissy-teigen>)
7. [What is buccal fat removal — TikTok’s latest plastic surgery fad? – The Oakland Post](<https://oaklandpostonline.com/44786/features/what-is-buccal-fat-removal-tiktoks-latest-plastic-surgery-fad/>)
8. [The Viral Buccal Fat Removal Procedure Has Some Experts Concerned](<https://www.thelist.com/1149939/the-viral-buccal-fat-removal-procedure-has-some-experts-concerned/>)
9. ['Buccal fat removal' is the latest controversial plastic surgery trend](<https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2022/12/29/buccal-fat-removal-latest-controversial-plastic-surgery-trend/10950814002/>)
10. [Is Our Cultural Obsession With Celebrity Transformations Ruining Our Self-Esteem? | Vogue](<https://www.vogue.com/article/is-our-cultural-obsession-with-celebrity-transformations-ruining-our-self-esteem>)
11. [Buccal Fat-Removal: How Long Will Plastic-Surgery Fad Last?](<https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/buccal-fat-removal-plastic-surgery-fad-1234649871/>)
12. [Why some TikTok users are pushing back on viral buccal fat removal trend](<https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/buccal-fat-removal-surgery-videos-tiktok-rcna62317>)

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