Plastic surgeons have revealed the celebrities they believe have had the fat sucked from their cheeks.
Buccal fat removal, which used to give a more “chiselled” appearance, was all the rage just a few years ago, but the procedure is falling out of favor among surgeons as the long-term effects become more apparent.
Dr. Gary Linkov, a plastic surgeon based in New York City, has stopped offering this surgery to his clients because he has noticed that as patients age or lose weight, it leads to a hollowed-out, gaunt, and somewhat diseased appearance.
The procedure, which permanently removes fat from the face, also risks damaging the nerves and structure of the face.
One of the most notable A-listers to have had or are rumored to have had their buccal fat pads removed is model Chrissy Teigen, who has started a major trend among celebrities and laypeople alike.
Dr. Linkov said, “Chrissy Teigen is a celebrity who has been honest and candid and came out and said, yes, I had my belly fat removed and talked about her eyebrow hair transplant, and she’s been really open about the procedures.”
But other famous stars, including Lea Michele, Bella Hadid and Anya Taylor-Joy, are also said to have had it.
Chrissy Teigen (pictured in May 2021 on the right) admitted to having buccal fat removal in September 2021. Teigen’s face (pictured in late 2021 on the right) looks more angular after the procedure
Bella Hadid is pictured above in 2014, left, and in February of this year
The operation, which takes about an hour, involves surgeons cutting pockets of fat from the cheeks from within the mouth to create a more ‘mature’ and defined appearance.
It usually costs up to $5,000, but some surgeons can charge more than $40,000 for the procedure.
Buccal fat removal has been around for decades, but only recently caught fire with the spread of social media and filters, coupled with the widespread influence of celebrities.
Although it looks good for the time being, removing the fat pads from each side of the face will make a person look thin and much older than their actual age. Losing weight will make this worse, says Dr. Linkov.
He explained that the reduction in facial volume in the lower cheeks, creating a rounder, softer appearance, immediately ages a person.
In fact, as facial volume decreases over time, that hollowed-out effect becomes more and more apparent.
In some cases, fat grafts or fillers can restore volume, but good, long-lasting results are not guaranteed.
Because the buccal fat pads are close to critical facial nerves, there is also a risk of nerve damage during surgery, which can cause weakness, numbness, or uneven facial movements.
Model Bella Hadid has long been rumored to have undergone buccal fat removal to achieve a chiseled look befitting high fashion.
Dr. Meegan Gruber, a plastic surgeon based in Tampa, Florida, said, “I would consider Bella Hadid to be kind of a classic,” adding that her lower cheeks have the feature “hollowed out” that refers to the procedure.
Dr. Linkov noted that compared to an image of Bella from 2024, teenage Bella is “softer and more approachable.”
Pictured above is Glee actress Lea Michele in 2006 (left) and in 2022 (right). Surgeons suggested she also had buccal fat removal surgery
Plastic surgeons also suggested that Anya Taylor-Joy had buccal fat removal. Dr. Linkov suggested she had undergone the procedure in one of his videos, after comparing photos of her from 2019 to 2023
Although Ms Hadid has denied having the procedure to achieve her high cheekbones and V-shaped jawline, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr Christopher Costa said: ‘While this look could have been achieved in other ways, I find that quite unlikely .’
Ms. Hadid is far from the only A-lister who reportedly opted for the procedure to achieve the high fashion aesthetic.
Dr. Joel Kopelman, a facial plastic surgeon at Kopelman Aesthetic Surgery in New York, told DailyMail.com that Lady Gaga is another celebrity who may have undergone this procedure.
He said: ‘While it is impossible to confirm without direct consultation, Lady Gaga’s facial structure has noticeably tightened over time, with reduced fullness in the cheek area. This change matches the aesthetic impact of buccal fat removal, improving cheek definition and giving the face a more sculpted appearance.”
Zoe Kravitz is seen above in early 2010, and again in 2017. Surgeons also suggest she had surgery to remove her belly fat.
Dr. Joel Kopelman, a facial plastic surgeon at Kopelman Aesthetic Surgery in New York, told DailyMail.com that it is possible that Emily Ratajkowski has undergone buccal fat removal, although she insists she never went under the knife.
He added that model Emily Ratajkowski and Glee’s Lea Michele “are also often mentioned in discussions surrounding this trend,” as well as Zoe Kravitz, who “show signs of improved cheek definition that can be attributed to this procedure.”
Lea Michele sparked intense speculation about her possible facial changes when she arrived in December 2022 posted a photo of herself with chiseled, sharp cheekbones that hadn’t been there when she walked the red carpet at the Tony Awards last June.
Dr. Dennis Schimpf, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Charleston, South Carolina, told DailyMail.com, “Her cheeks appear to have collapsed in that mid-to-lower area, which could be the result of buccal fat removal and weight change. And she definitely has better definition in her cheeks and jawline, and that could be a filler.”
Surgeons are quick to point out that, which signs of buccal fat removal are all over Hollywood, weight loss can cause noticeable changes in the shape of the face.
Dr. Gruber cited Miley Cyrus as an example. Although her hollow cheeks suggest fat has been removed there, she believed the singer may have lost a few pounds, which is why she looked like this.
Other stars rumored to have undergone the surgery include the late One Direction star Liam Payne, 31, who fueled the rumors after debuting a much more chiselled look on the red carpet last year.
Demi Moore is pictured above in 2019 (left) and in January 2021. She also reportedly underwent surgery to remove her belly fat
Moriarty before The Boys fame (left) and earlier this year she looks very different
Fans at the time were quick to comment that they “couldn’t believe” he had the surgery and that he was “the face of the buccal fat removal movement.”
The star tragically died last month after falling from the third floor of a hotel balcony onto a hard floor below. He had repeatedly spoken openly about his mental health problems.
A number of other stars are also rumored to have undergone the surgery, including Demi Moore, Erin Moriarty and Anya Taylor-Joy – as well as many others not mentioned in this article.
Liam Payne, pictured above in 2015 and 2023, plastic surgeons said the chiselled facial features on his face suggested he had undergone buccal fat removal, or removal of the fat pad in his cheeks, rather than having had an Ozempic face
She has always denied that she had any surgery. Yet cosmetic experts have now suggested that the Poker Face singer has undergone cosmetic work including a rhinoplasty, buccal fat removal and even surgery to reshape the corners of her eyes.
Data collected by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons shows that the procedure was popular in 2023, with 4,866 people undergoing the surgery – seven percent more than the year before, when statistics on the procedure were first reported.
But many plastic surgeons, including Dr. Linkov, say they are now moving away from the procedure and beginning to encourage clients not to undergo the procedure, amid concerns about the effects it could have on aging and surgical complications.