Hollywood has a weird obsession with cheekbones. If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or scrolled through red carpet photos lately, you’ve definitely seen it. That hollowed-out, "sucked-in" look that makes someone look like they were carved out of marble.
Everyone is talking about Anya Taylor-Joy buccal fat removal. Or, well, the possibility of it.
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Honestly, the transformation is jarring if you look at her early days in The Witch versus her recent appearances at the 2024 and 2025 premieres. She went from having a soft, ethereal, almost doll-like roundness to looking like a high-fashion architectural drawing. People are divided. Half the internet thinks it’s "magical aging," while the other half is convinced a surgeon went in and scooped out those fat pads.
The "Snatched" Look Everyone is Chasing
So, what even is buccal fat? Basically, it’s a grape-sized pad of fat in the middle of your cheek. We all have them. Some people have "chipmunk cheeks" because theirs are larger, while others are naturally more chiseled.
The surgery to remove it—buccal lipectomy—is surprisingly quick. Doctors make a tiny snip inside the mouth, find the fat, and pull it out. No external scars. No bandages. You’re in and out in thirty minutes.
That’s why it’s become the "Welcome to Hollywood" starter pack.
Why Anya Taylor-Joy?
When you look at Anya, the change isn't just weight loss. We’ve seen her at different weights throughout her career. But lately, there’s a specific shadow under her cheekbones that wasn’t there when she was 19.
Plastic surgeons like Dr. Cengizhan Ekizceli have noted that her face has moved toward a "V-shape" that is almost impossible to achieve through diet alone. It's that specific "hollow" look. In the medical world, they call it the "gaunt aesthetic."
But here’s the thing: she has never confirmed it. Not once.
Is It Just Good Lighting or Something More?
You've gotta consider the power of a good glam team. Anya Taylor-Joy is a fan of high-contrast makeup. If you use the right contour and sit under the right 45-degree studio lighting, you can make a round face look like a diamond.
Then there’s the age factor. She’s 29 now.
Most people lose facial volume in their late 20s. The "baby fat" melts away, and the bone structure underneath finally gets its moment to shine. Combine that with the fact that she’s clearly leaned out for roles (think Furiosa), and you get a recipe for a very different face.
However, experts like Dr. Barry Weintraub and others in the aesthetic space often point out that natural fat loss usually happens more evenly across the face. When the hollow is only in that lower-cheek pocket, it raises eyebrows.
"You can make a 25-year-old look 45 with a 15-minute procedure," says Dr. Sherrell Aston, a renowned NYC surgeon.
That is the big risk.
The 2026 Perspective: The Buccal Fat Reckoning
Interestingly, by early 2026, the trend has actually started to flip. We’re seeing a "Buccal Fat Reckoning."
Why? Because fat is the currency of youth.
When you remove that fat in your 20s to look "snatched" for Instagram, you’re basically stealing from your future self. That fat provides the structure that keeps your skin from sagging when you hit 50. Without it, the skin has nothing to sit on. It’s like taking the poles out of a tent.
What most people get wrong
People think buccal fat removal is like Botox—something you can just "undo" if you don't like it.
It’s not.
Once those pads are gone, they are gone forever. You can try to put filler in there later, but filler is heavy. It doesn't move like natural fat. It can end up looking lumpy or "pillowy." This is exactly why many top-tier surgeons are now turning patients away, especially young models who already have low body fat.
What Does This Mean for You?
If you’re looking at Anya Taylor-Joy and thinking, I want that jawline, you need to be real with yourself.
- Check your bone structure first. If you don’t have high, wide cheekbones like Anya, removing the fat won’t make you look like her. It’ll just make you look tired.
- Consider the "Long Game." Look at your parents. If your family tends to get "gaunt" or hollow as they age, stay far away from this surgery. You’ll need that fat later.
- Try the "Straw Test." Suck in your cheeks like you're drinking through a straw. That’s roughly what the surgery does. If it makes you look skeletal instead of sculpted, it's a hard pass.
Anya Taylor-Joy is a once-in-a-generation beauty with or without surgery. Her "Bambi eyes" and ethereal vibe are what made her a star, not just the hollowness of her cheeks.
Actionable Insight:
If you're desperate for that chiseled look without the permanent risk, look into Masseter Botox instead. It slims the jawline by relaxing the chewing muscle, but it wears off in six months. It’s a "test drive" for a slimmer face. Or, honestly? Just master the art of cream contour. It’s cheaper, and you won’t regret it when you’re 60.
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Focus on maintaining skin elasticity and volume through hydration and SPF. Trends fade, but structural integrity is forever.