’Tis the era of hollowed-out faces!
Sharp cheekbones and sunken cheeks seem to be everywhere lately, especially in Hollywood.
From red carpet snaps to Instagram selfies, fans have been zeroing in on the facial appearances of celebrities. And many are quick to blame buccal fat removal surgery for the dramatic shift.
“We lost another baddie to buccal fat removal. Whoever created buccal fat removal should be arrested and tried for crimes against humanity,” one commented on Alexa Demie’s red carpet photos from the premiere of Euphoria Season 3 earlier this month.
Margot Robbie’s appearance at the Chanel exhibition at Paris Fashion Week last month also sparked similar rumors.
“Buccal fat removal taking away all my full face queens in Hollywood,” an X user lamented this month.
Another wrote, “EVERY single celebrity who makes me feel okay with my round face and full cheeks eventually gets buccal fat removal.”
Buccal fat removal is a cosmetic procedure that involves surgically removing the fat pads from the lower cheeks, resulting in a long-lasting structural change to the face.
“The fat pads are removed, which means those fat cells do not grow back in that area,” Dr. Gizem Seymenoglu, a London-based aesthetic practitioner associated with Longevita, told Bored Panda.
“Because the change is irreversible, the mid-face can appear more hollow over time, especially with natural aging or further weight loss,” she added.
Dr. Gizem said she wasn’t necessarily seeing a direct rise in buccal fat removal requests. Instead, she believes a visual trend is being misattributed.
“I am seeing more people who appear to have that hollowed look,” she explained. “In many cases, this is less about surgery and more about rapid weight loss trends, particularly linked to GLP-1 medications. These can reduce overall facial volume, and because the loss is not selective, the face can sometimes appear more sunken or hollow.”
As beauty ideals shift, patients find it “very desirable” to have higher cheekbones and a more defined jawline. It gives a “slimmer and more sculpted look,” the doctor said.
“People often angle their face or pull their cheeks in when taking photos, which creates that hollowed effect,” she continued. “Over time, that has become associated with a more feminine and refined facial appearance.”
Dr. Gizem noted that it is very common for patients to bring celebrity references to their consultations.
They “often reference celebrities when discussing their desired look,” she said, “especially when it comes to facial structure and definition.”
“Bella Hadid is frequently mentioned in relation to more sculpted facial features,” she added.
Whether accurate or not, these celebrities have been targets of relentless buccal fat removal rumors.
