Every few months a new trend bursts into the public consciousness on social media, often with a whole host of celebrities boosting the popularity. While these trends are usually fashion or makeup, some are more permanent with specific plastic surgeries becoming commonplace.
The Brazilian bum lift (BBL), lip fillers, and tummy tucks are all well know procedures but a new treatment has been making the rounds recently.
Buccal fat reduction has skyrocketed in popularity in the latter half of this year - the surgery involves making an incision of the inside of each cheek and removing the fat to create a more chiselled face, permanently.
Influencers and celebrities have been appearing with hollowed out cheeks, leaving fans wondering if they have secretly had this surgery. TikTok influencer Regan Ellis opened up about her buccal fat reduction back in October, 2022, before the buzzword hit unimaginable heights online.
The 22-year-old told The Mirror why she decided to undergo this irreversible and risky surgery, she said: "I've always really struggled with a larger face. I used to weigh quite a bit more - about 14 to 15 stone - so I used to have quite a rounder face and then I lost the weight and it wasn't coming off my face."
She spotted a video on Facebook with someone discussing buccal fat removal but didn't immediately consider it as surgery seemed drastic.
"It didn't really cross my mind again for a while," Regan added. "It wasn't till about last year or so I actually thought it's something that I'd really liked to have done because I tried the non surgical options, which did work but not as much as I wanted it to."
Regan, who works as an aesthetics practitioner and owns her own clinic, is open with her 131.5k TikTok followers about the various procedures she has had done and other personal details about her life. She shared the swollen aftermath of her buccal fat surgery in a series of videos.
The Milton Keynes based influencer says that being "honest" is the most important thing when you're in the public eye. She said: "I will always, always, always be honest about any sort of treatments I've had done and there's total transparency, especially because there is a bit of an influence and there are maybe younger girls looking at me thinking 'I'm gonna look like her'.
"There's an element of saying you're stunning the way you are but if you do want to make modifications wait, you're old enough to make that decision wisely. It's a difficult one but I think as long as you are open and honest about the whole procedure and the education behind it, then there shouldn't be an issue with it.
"It's when influencers aren't honest about it, and they clearly had bum filler but they say they've been to the gym when they haven't. I think as long as there's that honesty, then it's a lot better for someone than someone who's dishonest about it."
Regan reflected on the Kylie Jenner lip challenge from a few years back as a dangerous example of dishonesty causing damage. The trend encouraged young people to use shot glasses to try and emulate the star's lips as Kylie had denied getting filler at the time.
"Any sort of cosmetic procedure is done because someone has an insecurity of themselves. I think, if you get to the bottom line that's what it's for," Regan added.
"As long as the individual getting the treatment isn't taking it too far and they're not overdoing it then that's okay to do."
Marc Pacifico, President of British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), told the Mirror that the buccal fat removal surgery is nothing new, it's just people are more aware of it now.
He said: "One of the risks or dangers of trends on social media, is it's almost like a lot of people jump on the bandwagon, particularly if there's an influencer or celebrity who has had something done. It's very risky, there's a very short term evaluation of the procedure and the results.
"Any plastic surgeon has to practice ethically," he added. "Surgeons, a doctor first and a plastic surgeon second, need to assess the patient - both physically and psychologically.
"Educate the patient about the consequences of what may be done, the risks of what may be done, and make sure the patient can really reflect and make the right decision for them."
While the surgery was mainly to help with Regan's self esteem - which it has, "massively" - she also said the "excess cheek fat" was getting in the way which resulted in mouth ulcers and blisters.
"Any cosmetic procedure can be used medically, for example the likes of using Botox to treat depression or you can use lip fillers to fix cleft lips," the 22-year-old pointed out. "A lot of the time, it's narrow minded - 'she's getting it done to get a big lips so she looks better on Instagram '. I think that's definitely what a lot of people think."
Marc warned that buccal fat reduction, which he explains is not a total removal as the trend would suggest, is not suitable for all face shapes.
"Someone who's already got slim face, it can make them look more gaunt and drawn and actually can age them more," he said.
"Even if someone's let's say what I'd call borderline, what is often not thought about is how that will affect them in the years to come. One of the ways some people age is by losing volume losing fat in their faces.
"So if in the wrong patient, you take buccal fat out, it could actually over the coming years give them a more aged appearance prematurely."
In total, her surgery only took about half an hour but it took around four weeks before she could fully see the results. The morning after her buccal fat reduction, Regan's cheeks had swollen so much that her boyfriend thought she was having an allergic reaction.
"He goes 'oh my god your face, have you got an Epipen in the salon?'," she laughed, "I'm freaking out for a second and then I looked at it and it's just normal swelling. I still think he just wanted to use the Epipen for fun."
Regan's facial nerve was bruised, making it painful to open her mouth but this is a normal side effect of the surgery. While she nerve recovered, there is a chance of damaging it permanently as the surgeon must navigate a complex area of the body.
Marc explained: "There are three risks with buccal fat surgery. One is damage to a branch of the facial nerve, which could affect how the mouth moves.
"Number two is damage to the parotid duct, which is a little tube that carries a saliva into the mouth. And number three is hematoma which is bleeding that creates a collection of blood within their cheek."
He notes that these would require further surgical intervention to resolve, although nerve damage could be permanent and the surgery to unblock the parotid duct is "more complex".
Both Regan and Marc highlighted the importance of finding a trusted surgeon and doing your research. They suggested not going into the surgeon wanting a particular surgery, instead you should discuss what effect you want and what changes you'd like to see.
If buccal fat is the way forward, Marc said: "Everyone should feel able to ask the surgeon if they do this procedure regularly, if they can show them before and after examples. I think the surgeon is duty bound to be honest with them."
He added: "I really would try and persuade everyone not to be influenced by online trends. Trends come and go but your body, you've got to make the right decision, not just for now, but for the rest of your life and you've got to really reflect and think about this.
"By all means have a consultation but don't go into the consultation with a view that you're definitely having the procedure - go into the consultation as a very important step in finding out more and finding out more that relates to you as an individual, not just in general about the particular procedure."
Regan said: "Everyone has their own beauty, whether that be physical or their personality, everyone has that spark about them. But I also think if it is something that I wanted to have done, don't think negatively about it because others do.
"As long as you're doing it for the right reasons to be you. If you're smart, you're safe, you're savvy about it and you have a support system around you then go for it."
