Round face despite being slim
The classic indication: full cheeks that ignore diet, because Bichat fat does not respond to weight loss.
Home · Facial surgery · Buccal fat removal
Facial contouring
Slim the face from within: removal of the Bichat fat pads by Dr. César Padilla at Quirónsalud Málaga Hospital.
What it is
Some round faces never respond to diet: slim people with full cheeks that no weight loss refines. The cause is usually the Bichat fat pads — two compartments of fat inside the cheeks whose size is genetic and independent of body weight.
Bichectomy removes those pads through a minimally invasive intraoral procedure, slimming the lower third of the face, highlighting the cheekbones and defining the jawline. The reduction is real and permanent.
Indications
The classic indication: full cheeks that ignore diet, because Bichat fat does not respond to weight loss.
Emptying the mid-cheek compartment gives the cheekbone prominence and the face structure.
Slimming the lower third visually lengthens the face and draws the mandibular line.
When the exam confirms the volume really comes from Bichat — and not from muscle, subcutaneous fat or bone — removal delivers the sought result.
Before surgery
Your consultation starts with a thorough assessment of your anatomy and goals, followed by a photographic study used to plan the procedure and compare your results later on.
Practical points that apply to every surgery: arrive at a stable weight, have your medication reviewed (antiplatelets and anticoagulants are usually paused beforehand, always together with your doctor) and stop smoking well in advance — tobacco seriously compromises healing.
Specific here: not every round face is a candidate. The assessment distinguishes Bichat fat from masseter muscle, subcutaneous fat or bone structure — each has a different solution. Age is weighed carefully too: the face loses fat naturally over the years, and in very young or already angular faces removal can age badly. When the indication is not clear, we say so.
The pre-operative tests and the anaesthesia assessment are completed at Quirónsalud Málaga Hospital.
Recovery
An intraoral, minimally invasive procedure — one of the easiest recoveries in facial surgery.
Cheek swelling — more showy than painful — soft, cold food, and careful oral hygiene with prescribed rinses.
Swelling recedes progressively; quiet social life. Intraoral stitches dissolve on their own.
Full routine. The face still holds some swelling: the slimming appears gradually.
The definitive result reveals itself with complete deflation: slimmer cheeks, marked cheekbone, defined jaw.
Scars
Incisions are made inside the mouth, on the inner cheek: there is no external scar at all. Stitches are dissolvable and the only visible trace of the process is the temporary swelling of the first days.
Surgical honesty
It acts only on the Bichat compartment. Jowls, masseter or subcutaneous fat are different problems with different solutions.
Bichat fat does not grow back. That is why conservative judgement matters — better short than sorry.
In angular or very young faces it can age the face prematurely. If you are not a candidate, you will hear it here.
Swelling hides the outcome for weeks; final definition takes months. Patience is part of the procedure.
Patient information
Every surgery carries risks and this one is no exception. You will go through them in detail during your consultation and in writing in the informed-consent form; this is the honest summary.
Expected — not a complication
Uncommon
The key is patient selection: well chosen, bichectomy is simple and grateful; poorly indicated, it is volume you will miss in ten years. The first decision happens at the examination, not in the operating room.
Hospital
Consultation, surgery and post-operative follow-up in a leading hospital: state-of-the-art operating rooms, ICU and private rooms.
12
Operating rooms
24 h
ER & ICU
100 %
Private rooms
Price
A closed, personal quote after your assessment, covering the ambulatory procedure, aftercare and follow-up visits.
About cheap offers. You will see plenty. Our honest advice: research and choose your surgeon first, and only then compare prices — never the other way round.
FAQS
No: incisions are inside the mouth with dissolvable stitches. There is no external mark whatsoever.
No. The removed fat does not regenerate — which is exactly why the indication must be conservative and well chosen: faces naturally lose fat with age.
Real slimming shows once the swelling has fully gone, between 2 and 4 months. The first weeks the face can even look fuller: that is normal.
The anaesthetic protocol is decided at your consultation, with the assessment of the anaesthesia team at Quirónsalud Málaga Hospital as part of the pre-operative workup.
Content reviewed by
Dr. César Padilla
Specialist in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery
Member of the Spanish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (SECPRE)
15+ years of practice · Quirónsalud Málaga Hospital
Last content review: August 2026
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