How to reduce the Bichat bubble

Each of us is characterized by a particular shape of the face, although it sometimes happens that some people have common characteristics, such as a very round face with a bulge in the lower part of the cheeks.

The adipose tissue present on our cheeks is called “Bichat’s bubble ” (or “ bullet “) and is anatomically located between the masseter muscle , which constitutes the more lateral wall of the bulla, and the buccinator muscle , which constitutes the medial wall, more internal. They are named after the French surgeon Marie François Xavier Bichat , who first described them at the end of the 1700s.

Bichat blisters are very pronounced in newborns and infants and tend to shrink as they grow but never completely disappear. In some cases, especially if the subject is overweight or obese and no longer very young, they tend to sag, causing the effect of bulldog cheeks.

The primary function of these fat bubbles is to support the cheek during feeding: all newborns, in fact, have a very round face for this reason it is a deposit of fat, independent from the rest of the organism, very dense and wrapped. from a membrane, for this reason it is very easy to remove with a very small liposuction.

Bichat bubbles are very sensitive to weight changes, being among the first to increase in volume when our body fat increases and obviously among the first to decrease when the percentage of body fat drops. Hence the fact that any practice that makes you lose weight can also considerably reduce cheek fat. To surgically reduce the Bichat bubble, a small incision is made inside the mouth, so there will be no visible scars, and with the use of local anesthesia, similar to that done by the dentist. The results of the surgery are not immediate, it takes about 3-4 months to notice the effects in the face, when the skin retracts and adheres to the tissues again. After the operation, an antibiotic must be taken for the first 4-5 days and an anti-inflammatory to reduce possible discomfort resulting from the incision.

It is very important to warn the patient to maintain proper oral hygiene and to avoid tobacco, as it promotes infections. This operation must be carried out in accredited centers and by a specialized surgeon, accustomed to manipulating the oral cavity and with a perfect knowledge of the anatomy of the face, therefore inexperienced hands can produce lesions of the duct that conducts saliva from the parotid gland to the mouth, or even lesions in some branches of the facial nerves.