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(CNN) --
Buccal fat removal could be the new Brazilian butt lift, a new cosmetic surgery procedure taking over social media.
In recent weeks, buccal fat removal has become a hot topic on the internet after rumors of several celebrities undergoing the procedure prompted supporters and detractors alike to share their views and experiences.
Searches for "buccal fat removal" skyrocketed dramatically starting December 11, according to data from Google Trends.
Here's what you need to know about the procedure and why it's so controversial.
Buccal fat removal consists of removing fat from the cheeks
Buccal fat removal is exactly what it says on the tin: fat removal from the buccal fat pad, a mass of tissue located deep within the cheek.
The procedure is usually performed under anesthesia.
A surgeon will create small incisions on each side of the inside of the patient's mouth to expose the buccal fat pad and then remove some or all of the fat.
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Darren Smith, a New York-based plastic surgeon told CNN that "you can accentuate your cheekbones by removing the fat that's in the buccal fat compartment."
Smith said he typically sees three types of patients who are interested in buccal fat removal.
One of them is "people who just have a fuller, rounder, cherubic face, who might want to slim it down a bit."
Removing buccal fat can result in a slimmer face, according to Smith.
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But the reason buccal fat reduction is currently in vogue is for something else: By removing fat from the cheeks, the procedure creates the appearance of sculpted, defined cheekbones.
A patient interested in this effect "might want to see a little more definition in the cheekbones," she said.
These patients seek to emphasize the "submalar hollow" under the cheekbone, she added.
When "done artfully, without going overboard, it can look great," Smith said.
The third category of patients Smith mentioned are "older patients doing it for facial rejuvenation."
The "buccal fat pad is subject to gravity and can sag over time," he said.
"In fact, it can contribute to the appearance of a double chin in the lower face. Therefore, in those people, I would often remove it in combination with a procedure such as a facelift."
Celebrities and social media prompted increased interest in buccal fat removal
Smith says he's seen an increase in interest in buccal fat removal in recent years.
"It's a procedure that is becoming more and more popular," she said.
Last year, model Chrissy Teigen announced on Instagram that she had undergone oral fat removal.
"And since I stopped drinking, I'm really seeing results and I like it," she said in an Instagram Story at the time.
"Yes I did, so what?"
Chrissy Teigen at the 74th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on September 12, 2022.
Other celebrities sporting sculpted cheekbones are rumored to have had the procedure, though whether they actually did so is unknown.
And social media is a major driver of interest, according to Smith.
"I think social media plays a tremendous role," she said.
"We see social media setting all kinds of trends as people have quicker and more frequent access to the latest celebrity looks and trends."
Additionally, social media allows patients to share their first-hand experiences of undergoing cosmetic surgery.
"People are now sharing their experiences more," resulting in a "disappearance of the plastic surgery taboo," according to Smith.
"People are much more open to talking about it," he said.
Ellen Gendler, a New York-based cosmetic dermatologist, told CNN she's seen an increase in patients asking about buccal fat removal in recent weeks.
"Last week, 20 people asked me about buccal fat removal," he said.
Surgeons urge caution about procedure
Surgeons, beauticians and simple users also appealed to social networks to urge caution about the procedure.
Gendler, for example, posted a TikTok Monday in which she warned patients, particularly young women, to avoid removing buccal fat.
"The latest buccal fat removal trend is probably the dumbest trend I've seen in a long time," he said in the video.
Gendler told CNN that because it removes volume from the face, buccal fat removal can have a premature aging effect on patients.
While you may like it at first, as the patient ages and naturally loses volume in the face, a lack of buccal fat can make them look haggard and aged.
And once buccal fat is gone, there's no way to get it back, although cosmetic fillers and fat injections can be used to replicate the look of buccal fat, Gendler said.
"When you remove an underlying structure in a permanent procedure and age around it, you don't know what it's going to look like," he explained.
Gendler urged patients contemplating buccal fat removal to consider the risks and understand how their results might change over time.
"I feel like it's not a procedure you should have without understanding this very real and concrete risk," she said.
Smith stressed the importance of counseling patients on the pros and cons of each procedure.
"One of my main jobs is to help people make sure they make responsible decisions when undergoing procedures," she said.
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A talented surgeon will be careful and precise when removing buccal fat, he said.
"The great danger of buccal fat pad excision is premature aging of the face," he explained.
"One thing we've known for a long time is that volume is what, among other things, gives the face a youthful experience."
"Really buccal fat pad removal needs to be done right, it's not the kind of thing where you just want to remove all buccal fat," he said.
"You have to be very careful about getting rid of the right amount for the right person."
Why "it's not something to do just because you saw it on Instagram"
Other social media
influencers
have pointed out that the high cheekbone aesthetic patients hope to achieve with buccal fat removal is just the latest in a series of unachievable beauty standards.
Makeup influencer Rachel Ocool, for example, created a makeup tutorial that emphasizes round cheekbones, rather than trying to eliminate them.
"Plastic surgery to remove your plump cheeks is all the rage," Ocool said in the TikTok video, which garnered more than 1 million likes on her verified account.
"I don't let my guard down!"
She then went on to demo "how she accentuates her round cheeks, because they're cute."
At the same time, some influencers have used social media to document the positive effect the procedure has had on their self-esteem.
Jaci Marie Smith, a podcaster and TikTok creator, told CNN that she decided to create a TikTok about her experience receiving buccal fat removal.
"There's a lot of controversy and slander going on right now about buccal fat removal," Smith said in his video.
The Californian creator underwent buccal fat removal in January.
Smith said that for a long time she felt that her plump face did not match her body type.
After learning about the procedure through friends and on social media, she met with a plastic surgeon who told her she was a good candidate.
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"I'm very happy with the results because I feel like it suits my body type more," she told CNN.
"I feel a lot more myself."
She chose to talk about her experience on social media because other users said "it makes you look old, it makes you look sunken and hollow, and it looks bad."
"The purpose of doing it was to educate about buccal fat removal and if you're interested in doing it, go to a doctor you really trust," he continued.
"I feel like I did this for myself and no one else," she added.
Smith, the plastic surgeon and no relation to the TikTok creator, agreed with her message about personal motivation.
"My kind of rallying cry in the world of plastic surgery is that nobody needs plastic surgery," said the surgeon.
"But if you're going to do it, you should do it for personal joy."
"Buccal fat incision is, like anything else, something you shouldn't do just because you saw it on Instagram," he said.
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