BOCA RATON, Fla. — A cosmetic surgeon is sounding the alarm about the dangers of a new plastic surgery trend that many celebrities are flocking to.
"Buccal fat is this area right under the cheekbone," Dr. Kanwal Bawa, a cosmetic surgeon in Boca Raton, told WPTV.
Bawa called Contact 5 about a procedure that removes the buccal fat from the cheek because it's become a growing plastic surgery trend that she said is concerning.
"Removing the Buccal fat pad can give the cheekbones a more angular appearance, more of the supermodel look that's very popular nowadays," Bawa said. "The doctor goes on the inside and removes the fat pad and that makes this area a little more hallow."
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Bawa said there are several red flags surrounding the procedure that consumers need to know about.
"As women grow older and the fat tends to leave the face naturally, this area tends to look really hallow," Bawa said. "So, what gives you a chiseled appearance in your 30s or 40s, may make you look haggard as you get older."
Bawa also told WPTV the surgery can often go wrong.
"You can always end up in a situation where the surgeon, well-meaning of course, takes out different amounts from both sides and now, your face doesn't quite look symmetric," Bawa said.
She said there are other procedures, like nonsurgical facelifts and filler that create a similar look without being invasive.
Some Floridians that WPTV spoke with though said they prefer to skip it all.
"I wouldn't do anything to my face or my body," a West Palm Beach resident said. "Everybody wants to fit in but nobody wants to be themselves, doesn't make any sense."