Plastic surgeons have revealed the celebrities who they are convinced have had the fat sucked out of their cheeks.
Buccal fat removal, used to give a more ‘chiseled’ 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 clearer.
Dr Gary Linkov, a plastic surgeon based in New York City, has stopped offering the op to his clients because he’s noticed that as patients age or lose weight, it leads to a hollowed out, gaunt and slightly ill look.
The procedure, which removes fat permanently from the face, also risks damaging the nerves and structure of the face.
Among the most notable A-listers who have gotten or are rumored to have gotten their buccal fat pads removed is model Chrissy Teigen, who kickstarted a major trend among both celebrities and laypeople.
Dr Linkov said: ‘Chrissy Teigen is one celebrity that has actually been honest and upfront and came out and said, yeah I had my buccal fat removed and talked about her eyebrow hair transplant, and she’s really been very open about procedures.’
But other well-known stars including Lea Michele, Bella Hadid, and Anya Taylor-Joy are also believed to have had it.
Chrissy Teigen (pictured in May, 2021 on the right) admitted to receiving buccal fat removal in September 2021. Teigen’s (pictured in late-2021 on the right) face has a more angular appearance after receiving the procedure
Bella Hadid is pictured above in 2014, left, and in February this year
The operation —which takes about an hour—involves surgeons cutting fat pockets out of the cheeks from inside 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 it only recently caught fire with the proliferation of social media and filters, coupled with widespread celebrity influence.
While it looks good for now, removing the fat pads from each side of the face will leave one looking gaunt and much older than their true age. Losing weight will exacerbate this, says Dr Linkov.
He explained that the reduction in facial volume in the lower cheeks, which creates a rounder, softer look, immediately ages a person.
As volume in the face decreases over time, that hollowed out affect becomes even more and more apparent.
In some cases, fat grafting or fillers can restore volume, but good, long-lasting results are not guaranteed.
Since the buccal fat pads are close to critical facial nerves, there’s also a risk of nerve damage during surgery, which could cause weakness, numbness, or uneven facial movement.
Model Bella Hadid has long been rumored to have undergone buccal fat removal to achieve a chiseled look befitting haute couture.
Dr Meegan Gruber, a plastic surgeon based in Tampa, Florida, said: ‘I would consider Bella Hadid is sort of the classic,’ adding that her lower cheeks are the hallmark ‘hollowed out’ that points to the procedure.
Dr Linkov noted that, compared to an image of Bella in 2024, teenage Bella is ‘softer, more approachable.’
Pictured above is Glee actress Lea Michele in 2006 (left) and in 2022 (right). Surgeons suggested she had also had buccal fat removal surgery
Anya Taylor-Joy was also suggested by plastic surgeons to have had buccal fat removal. Dr Linkov suggested she had the procedure in one of his videos, after comparing pictures of her from 2019 to 2023
While Ms Hadid has denied undergoing 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 rather unlikely.’
Ms Hadid is far from the only A-lister rumored to have opted for the procedure to attain the high fashion aesthetic.
Dr Joel Kopelman, 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’s impossible to confirm without direct consultation, Lady Gaga’s facial structure has become noticeably more contoured over time, with reduced fullness in the cheek area. This change aligns with the aesthetic impact of buccal fat removal, which enhances cheek definition and lends a more sculpted appearance to the face.’
Zoe Kravitz is shown above in the early 2010s, and again in 2017. Surgeons also suggest she has had a buccal fat removal surgery
Dr Joel Kopelman, facial plastic surgeon at Kopelman Aesthetic Surgery in New York, told DailyMail.com, said it is possible that Emily Ratajkowski has undergone buccal fat removal, though she insists she has never gone under the knife
He added that model Emily Ratajkowski and Lea Michele of Glee fame ‘are also frequently mentioned in discussions around this trend,’ as well as Zoe Kravitz, who have ‘shown signs of enhanced cheek definition that may be attributed to this procedure.’
Lea Michele set off fierce speculation about her possible facial alterations when in December 2022 she posted a photo of herself with chiseled, sharp cheekbones that had not been there when she walked the red carpet at the Tony Awards the previous June.
Dr Dennis Schimpf, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Charleston, South Carolina, told DailyMail.com: ‘Her cheeks do seem to be collapsed in that mid- to lower area, which could be from buccal fat removal and weight change. And she definitely has better definition in her cheek and jawline, and that could be filler.’
Surgeons are quick to point out that, which signs of buccal fat removal are everywhere in Hollywood, weight loss can cause noticeable changes to the shape of the face.
Dr Gruber named Miley Cyrus as an example. While her hollow cheeks suggest removal of fat there, she believed the singer may have dropped a few pounds, giving her the look.
Other stars rumored to have had the surgery include late One Direction star Liam Payne, 31, who sparked the rumors after debuting a much more chiseled look on the red carpet last year.
Demi Moore is pictured above in 2019 (left) and in January 2021. She is also alleged to have had buccal fat removal surgery
Moriarty before The Boys fame (left) and earlier this year she looks very different
Fans were quick to remark at the time, saying they ‘can’t believe’ he had the surgery and saying 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 issues.
There are a number of other stars who are also rumored to have gone in for 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 chiseled features on his face suggested he had had a buccal fat removal, or removal of the fat pad in his cheeks, rather than had Ozempic face
She has always denied having surgery. Yet, cosmetic experts have now suggested the Poker Face singer has undergone cosmetic work including a nose job, buccal fat removal and even surgery to reshape the corners of her eyes
Data collected by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons shows the procedure was popular in 2023, with 4,866 people having the surgery — up seven percent on the previous year which marked the first time statistics on the procedure were reported.
But many plastic surgeons, including Dr Linkov, say they are now moving away from the procedure and starting to encourage clients not to get it, amid concerns about how it may affect aging and surgical complications.
