Face Slimming
An oval shaped or V-shaped face is considered to be attractive. Face ideally should be broadest at the temporal region(near the temples) and then narrow down.
Children generally have chubby cheeks which looks very attractive.
But as we grow up in to an adult this chubbiness (buccal pad of fat) reduces and our cheek bones become high and more defined giving us an attractive adult look.
But in some adults this chubbiness of the cheeks (buccal pad of fat) is retained, which doesn’t look attractive.
In C&S clinic we get many patients asking for a slimmer face. Now there are four methods by which we can get rid of this buccal fat and give a slimmer face to the patient. Which are:-
Surgical removal of buccal pad of fat- The reduction of buccal fat pad is usually performed under local anesthesia with the patient completely awake. The typical approach for removing the buccal fat pad is through an incision in the mouth, towards the back of the oral cavity, near the second upper molar. The buccinator muscle is then encountered and without making an incision, the fibers are separate until the buccal fat is seen. Once the buccal fat is visualized, a thin casing over the fat is opened and the fat in gently teased out while gentle pressure is applied externally. The fat is then cauterized at the base and removed. The remainder of the buccal fat pad then is replaced to its anatomic site and the oral mucosa is sutured close, and the two incisions are sutured. Typically the procedure takes about 30 minutes to complete.
PDO threads - PDO (polydioxanone) threads stimulate the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. They lift the loose and sagging muscles and tissues of the face improving the overall texture of the skin. It also helps in decreasing the fat production and induce lipolysis (fat cell death) which is quite effective in treating facial and body stubborn fat areas and slimming the jawline, tightening it and giving a more subtle and contoured look. The skin becomes tighter, firmer and thicker as the results of the PDO thread starts to surface.
Ultrasound lipolysis - Ultrasound lipolysis is a medicinal method that decomposes and eliminates fat deposits from subcutaneous fat tissue without surgery needed. Fat – triglycerides in subcutaneous fat tissue cells are turned into monoglycerides with a specific frequency of ultrasound waves, which, at the same time increases the permeability of the fat cell membranes leading to the release of fat from the cells into the lymph flow and their removal from the body.
Fat dissolving injections(Kybella) - Due to age and gravity, the fat in the cheek gets pulled down to the corners of the mouth, creating a sad and tired look. Kybella injections can be used off-label to address this area. Treatment for this area generally takes 2 to 3 sessions a few weeks apart with results fully present within 4 weeks.
Face Slimming With Botox
Another problem faced by patients which makes their face look broader is over development of massetter muscle( massetter muscle hypertrophy), it’s a facial muscle present at the corner of the face.
In some people it gets overdeveloped, reasons can be bruxism( grinding of teeth in night while sleeping), unconsciously over using massetter muscle while doing various weight lifting excercises in gym, or having an occlusal disturbance( upper and lower teeth don’t meet in ideal position) which causes strain on the massetter muscle.
When massetter muscle gets overdeveloped it makes the face look broader or squarish in shape.
To correct it and to get back the oval or V-shape of the face we use botox( botulinum toxin type A), it’s a muscle relaxer or neurotransmitter inhibitor, when injected into the muscle it reduces its movements and relaxes it. And thus overtime the muscle reduces in size giving the face a slimmer and more feminine look.
Time of the Procedure - The whole procedure takes around 10-15 minutes.
Does it hurt - None at all
Time to achieve the results - You will start noticing the slimming in 14 days, but complete result takes around 4-6 weeks to show.
