Buccal Fat Trend Needs To STOP! Plastic Surgeon Reacts 

Omg a podcast would be so interesting!!!

I know she's trying not to offend anyone by calling it "high fashion", but most of them just look like they have Handsome Squidward filter on

These are not beauty standards. These are beauty trends.

I live in Brazil and plastic surgery is a HUGE thing here. We had this buccal fat removal hype a few years ago and I've seen a good amount of people who had this procedure turn out to regret it and spending 10x more money to "fix" it (or at least make their faces less flacid).

I used to hate my round, rosy cheeks and oily skin but at 37 I’m starting to appreciate that maybe these are things I will be thankful for in 10-20 years. I am not against plastic surgery but it makes me sad that so many people get it done because they want to follow a trend or because they don’t recognize their own unique beauty as something to be proud of 😢 Imagine how friggin boring and gross the word would be if we all looked the same!

I think social media and Hollywood seems to encourage people with body dysmorphic disorder

Notice how literally EVERY SINGLE ONE of the examples for this is NOT a girl with fat cheeks reducing them to 'normal' but girls with normal cheeks going skeleton mode... why...

My face was wayyy to chubby for my liking when I was in my 20s. Now, in my 30s, I’ve lost a lot of the natural fat just by aging and love what I look like. Have I had a buccal fat removal done in my 20s, I’d probably look way older than I am now ! I love that our bodies and faces are constantly changing (sometimes we like it more, sometimes less) and we should not play the nature’s role in this.

I’m about to turn 70 and have recently thought about getting “refreshed”. Why a young girl would deliberately hollow out her face is beyond me. But if I did have some work done I would hope to have a surgeon as professional and caring as Dr. Linkov. I so enjoy watching these videos.

Sophie Turner has really done herself a disservice. She was stunning before! Honestly the surgery is just making these women look emaciated like how when you’re starving to death, your cheeks hollow out.

While I respect your profession, watching your videos have confirmed to me that I am satisfied with my body because I don't know how any procedure will age on me.

This type of removal makes these celebs look like they are getting ready for a Tim Burton movie!

"Consider keeping it and not getting it cut out" the sweetest line. I love how you are educational but non-judgemental and kind at the same time - really beautiful. Anyone would be lucky to have you as their doctor!

The difference of energy between you guys is hilarious. It's like the captain of the cheer team and the chief pot head/nerd being best friends and sharing deep thoughts about what the rich kids are doing next weekend.

This procedure isn’t making most of these women in their 20s look like they’re in their 30s, it’s making them look like they’re in their 40s, or some of them even in their 50s.

Just a reminder: no one is forcing you to jump on a plastic surgery trend. Choose what you want, but take responsibility for your choice, regardless of which you choose.

I have a full face, its genetic, my whole family does. Its something I don't particularly like about myself and I had looked into buccal fat as the trend moved that way. However as I am only 27, your video among others, has been so helpful to steer me away from it, as now I know that over time, the surface fat will go down, and ill be grateful to not have removed my buccal fat in another 10-20 years!

2 years ago when I was 22, I almost got this done. Went to a plastic surgeon to get submental lipo (I am happy with the results) and asked him about buccal fat removal. He said he wont do it because I look great with my round cheeks. I feel thankful every day that he was a good person first and a businessman second!

I had a friend who got that surgery at 20 and it immediately made her look like she is 40. No one believes her real age because of how old the surgery made her look, specially because she was already quite refined facially

When you are young , they want to hollow it out, when you are old they want to fill it up! Good grief 😂😅

As someone who was always made fun of for having a round face and chubby cheeks, imma let my buccal fat alone 😂 I'm 25 and my face has naturally changed SO MUCH in the past 10 years. I love me my round face

I’m so thankful for the plastic surgeon I was a nanny for in my early 20’s. He told me to not do anything to my face until I was in my late 30’s, no botox, nothing, because you don’t know how you’re going to age and doing things to your face too early augment’s your facial structure. I’m now 41 and so happy I listened, because I’m happy with how I’m aging.

I was shocked to find out Amelia Hamlin is only 21. She looks a solid 35 with all those procedures. All buccal fat removal does is age you, which is ironic coming from a society that’s so youth obsessed.

Thanks so much for discussing this topic. I had facial reconstruction at age 18 for a oral cavity birth defect, which required jaw & palate surgery stage one then plastic reconstruction to match the bone revisions. Going into the surgery, buccal removal was part of the plan but when I woke up, the surgeon decided not to do that part and told me, "You'll thank me when you are 40!" I didnt get it then, but I'm 50 now and so thankful! I wouldve ended up w one of those gaunt looks, whereas I am so youthful looking still retaining it, I once got stopped going into an R rated movie at 30 bc they thought I was underage lol. I can understand why certain people w certain face shapes would do it eg round like Chrissy Teigan bc basically that's my shape and I did say to the dr way back, I want that model look (back in Christie Brinkley Cindy Crawford supermodel era!) bc us naturally round face will never have that no matter how much contour we use! so I think in certain moonface type shapes, it's understandable/reasonable if it really bothers you. but most of the celebs and others are no that face shape and are doing it as counteraging procedures or worse, on trend. I have had nerve damage from my original procedure as part of the birth defect revision (not the drs fault, just a risk if any facial surg) as well as subsequent parotid issues and let me tell you, facial problems are extremely challenging; side effects include a numb lip, nerve pain, nodules w potentiality for cancer that I have to do repeat needle biopsies etc. all this from early neccessary facial surgery. ITS NOT WORTH RISKING LIFELONG DAMAGE for a TREND. This should only be considered for persons with medical issues or genetic/round faces if they find that intolerable and worth the risk of damage etc. There are many blood vessels, nerves, etc under thin skin and once you mess it up, there's no going back. Don't chance it. Thanks dr and this young lady who made a very good video as a public service!

You are more than a plastic surgeon. You are an honest caring human being. There are too many plastic surgeons that do not completely inform patients of the possible "cons" of a procedure , In it for the money. Just me, but I find the "trendy surgery crazes" rediculous. I dont want to look like everyone else. I want to look like me. I've learned make up tricks to contour my nose, cheek, jawline.. Other days I'll I'll go makeup free. Thank you for fully explaining this procedure. and the risks.

"What may look good now may not look good in 10-15 years" 👏

I’ve always had a naturally sculpted face. Now at age 41 I’m really noticing fat loss in my face. Please don’t do this to yourself! I really believe most people will regret it later.

Your voice and way of speaking are so soothing.

Dude, I just like how chill you sound and look, it's awesome. Keep it up.

I used to hate my round face when I was younger (teens/20s). One pleasant surprise that came after I turned 30 is how I now appreciate my whole face, including my round cheeks. (They also make me look younger so it's a win/win) Everything trendy I might want to try can be done with makeup 🤷‍♀️

My ex-wife was from Russia and she had body dysmorphia that was mostly centered around her face. She would constantly get the puffy lip procedure done. I tried for numerous years to tell her how beautiful she looked and did not need to fatten her lips. It actually became a huge issue. It was never enough. Now our daughter is doing it. It really broke my heart to see my daughter do it, since she was always naturally gorgeous.

congrats Dr. you are looking great!

Good video portraying interesting and educating comments between the doctor and Steph.

This is absolutely wild to me. I was always told growing up that faces thin out with ageing. I was skeptical as i still had a full face in my 20s, but now in my 30s it has indeed thinned out. Why are we all obsessed with being young but not looking young

It makes faces look older. The surgery adds 20 years to their age. Madonna looks like the caricature of an alien from outer space. Her look gives me goosebumps.

I've always had a very round, full face and wished to make it slimmer. Although I still don't love my big cheeks, videos like this do a great deal to help me see things objectively and rationally. Thanks for educating people like me so that we don't jump into something we may later regret

I considered this at one point as I got the characteristic "moon face" from Cushing's disease and I hated it, but my doctors assured me I'd most likely lose weight after having my tumor removed. They were right, my face was the first place that my weight loss has been noticeable. Glad I didn't go through with this.

I’m only gonna say this: I’m 36 and I am seeing my face getting more and more chizzled as I get older and lose some wieght, I am truly happy that I had a rounder face to start with! I feel like people in their early 20s don’t really think much about the Impact that their tweakments may have in the future.

I am actually really glad I clicked on this video! My face is naturally more rounder and fuller and I’ve been feeling a little insecure because I didn’t have that “high fashion” look, but now I can tell that the insecurity is stemming from pop culture rather than having full cheeks! Thanks for covering this!!

Stephanie Lange!!!! I miss her. Thanks for the educating video but also for reuniting me with her.

I don't know Doc. You've got no makeup, no surgery, and I think you personally, look pretty damn good! A great argument for leaving looks as nature intended. You're a cutie!

I’m 54, almost 55 and just over the last 3 years have accepted myself for all it’s beauty. ❤ no surgeries or treatments. I’m very pleased to be middle aged. ❤

I love how chill he always sounds. It’s so soothing. Also rlly like how respectful he is when reacting.

Why are surgeons condoning this by carrying out these procedures? Don't they have any ethics?

i love your attitude and how calm you are, it's very pleasant to watch and to listen to you:)

I have to say, this whole trend around buccal fat removal has made me have a new appreciation for my full cheeks. Trend cycles in cosmetic procedures are so alarming to me, as you said it’s not exactly something that can be easily reversed, if at all

I never thought Lurch from the Addams family would become the beauty standard

I like how you brought up the fact the surgery could go wrong or you can have adverse reactions to certain surgery drugs they use not to mention the stress can not be good for you especially if something goes wrong spin into depression. If you take good care of yourself its free .

I love that he talks about important things not biased. It’s so crazy that we follow trends that require to go through pain and costly procedures just to look “cool”… i get modifications if you are super self conscious about something that is really visible but for little details that will not be cool in a few years… come on please think about things long term 🙏🏼 especially if it’s irreversible 😢

As someone who would’ve killed to have high sculpted cheekbones, I’m soooo glad these videos are being done and now I appreciate my full face and just contour my cheeks, it really helps! 😁

I think one of the worst part is the "I want to stand out" thought process. People did the same thing at one point when nose jobs were ESPECIALLY popular. They wanted a pretty and "unique" button nose, but ended up having the same type of nose as everyone else that had nose jobs as well. I'm not against plastic surgery in any way, but I AM against getting it done because it's trendy.

Dr. Gary looks amazing!

Much respect, doctor. 🙏🙏🙏

I am 74 and I always had a fat, round face, and one time my aunt who was a Beautician was doing my hair and I was complaining and she said this..." you will never look old! You will always have that youthful look! I didn't care then but NOW, I still look like a kid! People have guessed my age as much as 25 years younger than I am.

Why can’t be just be Thankful for the faces we have. Thank you Dr Gary for your honesty. Thank you for bringing me to Stephanie’s RU-vid channel. She is delightful. xx

Always love your videos. I’m learning so much 🤍🤍🤍

This guy has a beautiful heart for not loving the money he could get from doing this surgery over having actual care for people and their wellbeing. It's refreshing to see!

I hated my round cheeks when I was younger but they've slimmed a lot as I've gotten into my late 20s. Now I love my face shape, I'm 28 and consistently get mistaken for 21-22. People are shocked when I tell them my age. I'm very happy with how I've been aging naturally.

I liked when he talked about normalizing what risks there are with this. Nobody talks about the risks and I'd like to hear more about that

This is why I've never and will never be a sheep

You have no idea how these videos have helped my self esteem + have made me realize it's just not worth it, particularly right now in my age to undergo risky procedures for fickle body "trends"

This is very random, but I am so glad for your success, Doctor! Last year I put down a deposit for a consultation, months later found out I was expecting, and your office was so kind about refunding the deposit and congratulating me. I live in buffalo, but I still dream about taking a trip to NYC and getting a lip lift from you!

That’s exactly the point that has to be emphasized. Do not mess with your looks unless absolutely necessary because they will be either impossible to fix or irreversible. Besides there is a strong possibility that the results will not be as expected.

Thanks for the great video Doc!, made me love and appreciate my bucal fat too

These women are crazy to go after a trend that basically hollows out your face. While it may look good in your 20's because you still have collagen that gives a youthful look, in the 30's and 40's is a different matter. I'm in my 40's and my cheeks does not give that bouncy and youthful look any longer. I do not want to look "gaunt" or chiseled. This trend is ridiculous ,imo.

People aren't doing it to stand out, they're doing it to fit in with the latest beauty trend So sad people can't just let themselves look the way they are

I believe it was called the Buckle procedure in history when starlets of the 1920, 30's would have this done by removing their back teeth to get a more chiseled look to the face. I remember a Joan Crawford interview where she said it was standard procedure for the old Hollywood studio system to have this done to their starlets.

With our natural self we stand out everybody is different. With al the surgerys they are only starting to look like eachother

Lea's face really shocked me the most. She already had a nice face shape. I really did not understand why she did that. Stephanie is really nice to say some of these didn't look bad. They actually really did look bad.

A high fashion model who looks great with her full cheeks is Adut Akech. They are her signature feature, and she definitely helped me to embrace my fuller cheeks, which I inherited form my mother's side. She always looks stunning on the runway and in campaigns.

The removal of back teeth, which achieved that same gaunt look, was a modeling trend in the 1970s (source: an old 1970s contracted Eileen Ford Model)

This is now the channel i watch in the metro omw to work.

If there's anyone on youtube that should do interviews with celebrities about their cosmetic procedures, it's Dr. Gary!

I was in my 20’s during the 1990’s and had a very full face. I went to see a plastic surgeon to see if he could do this surgery on me. He said no bc I would regret it in my 50’s as your face reduces volume at this age and I would look older and gaunt. I’m glad I listen to him as I am now 55 and my face looks actually younger thanks to leaving my 20 yr old full face alone. 😅

I've never seen someone have this procedure and have it look good. It ages people

I wanted this done so bad in my early twenties. More than 10 years later, I'm so glad I never did that

My 92 year old father had fat [and muscle] wasting due to aging. This trend is definitely alarming, especially given the body’s natural aging process and fat wasting. Yikes.

I'm so happy to be 50 with no plastic surgery. I have no issue looking ordinary. The most ironic thing is both my parents & my siblings all did modelling . I ended up with the hooked nose, masculine jaw & thin lips. I no longer care about the unrealistic expectations of society &, it's very freeing. Not everyone is suppose to look like a Instagram model. Trust me when your older you don't want to have hallowed cheeks . It can make you look older. I like having a fuller softer face .

I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and my face naturally looks like this, it's wild that people are trying to look like sick people.

I’ve always hated my full cheeks until I started watching you, I have seen that fullness is good when aging. I used to hate people saying I have a baby face lol and now I embrace it 🤣🤣🤣

I have a very round, full face and I HATED it for so long I always dreamed of having such a slim face like the celebs that have gotten this procedure done. But tbh, after seeing what these celebs look like post surgery, I think I’ll just start to embrace my very round face 😌

My friend got her buccal fat removed and under eye filler/lip filler. Now idk if it’s because the filler has migrated but it doesn’t look like she had anything removed. Her face actually looks swollen and bigger now. It’s been over a year and it hasn’t really looked any different other than bigger.

Thank you for this video!

I've noticed some ladies getting work done too early in their lives that by the time they are my age they look so old. It's very sad it's like they are aging faster or at least look like it not reversing.

I must say I appreciate this plastic surgeons’ transparency. As a mom of 5 daughters it terrifies me that this is even a thing. There is a reason we have this deeper fatty tissue in our face!!

“These trends they’re fleeting yet the surgical results are permanent” 💯💯💯 This statement is so true, and it’s the real issue people need to be aware of. Amazing video, specially highlighting the fact that these procedures come with serious risks, which nobody seems to think about before getting many risky cosmetic surgeries in general, and not just about beauty standards.

I never had a full face or apple cheeks. I never really thought about it, unless someone commented on my high cheekbones. But now, at 60, even though I'm 40 pounds overweight, my undercheek area is sunken in. I can't imagine how gaunt I'd look if I'd had my buccal fat pads removed. Trust me, that fullness starts disappearing as you age. Enjoy your facial fat while you have it.☺️

I adjust wanna say the doctor and his way of talking etc is very attractive. I love your eyes doc and humor 😁

I remember this from the 1990s when "heroin chic" was becoming a trend and "House of Style" on MTV followed a model going to a dentist for the procedure so that she could book more jobs. The model complained of pain levels as the dentist was pulling the fat pad out and he told her to "shut up" so he could finish. It was sobering to say the least.

What a coincidence! I just watched your other buccal fat removal video last night because it was in my suggestions.

When you actually realize how many of these cheeks, lips, noses etc are not natural you really start to appreciate your natural features. No point in worshiping the celebs or feeling jealous of them

I always had chubby cheeks (even when I was younger and really thin) but now, at almost 57 years old, it seemed to help maintain youthfulness. Thank you for being generous in sharing your knowledge and opinions on this channel. 💜

i remember being a teen and listening to "mr brightside" on repeat, and one thing i loved about that song was its music video. i was enchanted by the girl's full, baby cheeked face and considered her the absolute embodiment of beauty. fast forward to me being 23, i was super insecure about my image and was bombarded with this "high fashion", hollowed out look. i went to my surgeon and asked for this procedure and im glad he debunked it all and talked me out of it. now, 1½ year later, im very happy with my buccal fat and im thankful for surgeons like him and dr. Linkov for not endorsing this surgery. embrace and cherish your buccal fat ! it won't be there forever xxx

I believe there is a real difference between people who follow trends for attention and people who have psychological issues projected onto parts of their body. back in school we had girls who were made self-conscious about their "hamster cheeks" by others. sometimes one mean comment will stick with you for years, and you start seeing things in the mirror that are not an issue to begin with.

tbh, I don't care thaaaat much about plastic surgery subjects but your demeanor and personality keep me watching these videos. So now I know quite a bit about a topic that I'm barely interested in. :)

Never have I ever been more happy to have my high chubby cheeks. Now that I’m in my mid 30s people always think I’m still in mid 20s. Thanks to my mother who told me not to alter my face as trends come and go. Also that small imperfections make a person look unique which will help you stand out from the rest. Looking after your skin is much more important and that when time comes I’ll be grateful for that. Thanks mom !!!

The only famous face that looked good with the hollow cheeked look was Katharine Hepburn. It was her natural bone structure/fat distribution and she did look great, but not everyone can carry off that look.

Ok Dr. Gary you are a handsome and soft spoken guy❤ An enlightening topic watched til the end and Im happy with my God given looks😇

I would love to see a video about how plastic surgery ages and its reversality. Older women are often shamed for having too many procedures, so it could bring some empathy and understanding in the conversation.

I’m 27 and my face has naturally lost a lot of its roundness in the last 2 years. I can’t even imagine what I’d look like if I had this procedure done in my early 20’s. I’m confident in myself now but in true “you always want what you can’t have” I kind of miss my baby face that I hated when I had it. I think it’s really hard to fully accept your looks, even when you get what you want it’s never going to be enough when there’s a celebrity to compare yourself to.