In a nutshell, Buccal Fat Removal is a procedure wherein the fat pads on your cheek are surgically removed to give you a gaunt, hollowed, and slim face.
The Rise Of Buccal Fat Removal: Understanding The Trend Behind Hollow Cheeks
The Buccal fat removal rage can be traced to the "heroine chic" trend of the 90s, where the gaunt, hollowed look was viewed as an aesthetic rather than a deep-rooted issue. The obsession with a skinny or hollowed face is ultimately related to how marketing tactics have conditioned us to make thinness a standard.
Some Surgeons Have Decided to Stop Performing Buccal Fat Removal Procedures
Dr. Gary Linkov has decided to stop performing the procedure; not because he thinks it's inherently bad, but because it didn't work out for him personally.
He also mentions one of his colleagues who performed the surgery had a patient whose cheek had gotten swollen. There are also rare cases of massive blood loss.