People are losing it over Jenna Ortega’s face. Seriously. If you’ve scrolled through TikTok or Twitter lately, you’ve probably seen the side-by-side comparisons. On one side, there’s the "Stuck in the Middle" Disney kid with soft, round cheeks. On the other, the high-fashion, razor-sharp version of Jenna we saw at the Wednesday Season 2 premieres. The internet’s verdict? Jenna Ortega fat removal must be a thing.
But is it?
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Rumors of a bichectomy—the medical term for buccal fat removal—started spiking by over 1,500% the moment she stepped out with bleached brows and a hollowed-out cheek look. It’s the "it" surgery in Hollywood right now. Everyone from Chrissy Teigen to Dove Cameron has been linked to it. When a star goes from "cute" to "sculpted" seemingly overnight, the plastic surgery sirens start blaring.
The Buccal Fat Removal Theory Explained
Let’s talk about the procedure itself. Basically, a surgeon goes inside your mouth, makes a tiny cut, and pulls out the buccal fat pads. These are the grape-sized nuggets of fat in your lower cheeks that give you "baby face." Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. You get that "snatched" look that looks like you're permanently sucking in your cheeks.
Honestly, looking at Jenna’s recent red carpet photos, it’s easy to see why people are suspicious. Her mid-face looks significantly more hollow than it did in 2022. Dr. Gizem Seymenoglu, a medical aesthetician, even weighed in, saying the volume loss looks "unusually hollowed-out" and hard to achieve with just a diet.
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But here’s the thing. Jenna is 23.
Why Biology Might Be Trolling Us
There’s a massive difference between a 15-year-old’s face and a 23-year-old’s face. It’s called growing up. Most of us lose that "puppy fat" in our early twenties naturally. When you combine that with Jenna’s naturally petite, ectomorphic frame, a little bit of weight loss shows up on her face first.
Plus, we have to talk about the "Wednesday" of it all.
The aesthetic for that show is literally dead. Hollow eyes, sunken cheeks, pale skin. Her glam team is world-class at contouring. If you use a cool-toned shadow right under the zygomatic arch (the cheekbone), you can fake a surgical result in twenty minutes. Throw in some bleached eyebrows—which remove the "frame" of the face and make the bone structure pop—and suddenly everyone thinks you’ve been under the knife.
What Experts Actually Think
The medical community is split, which is typical for celebrity speculation. Some surgeons look at her jawline and see "masseter hypertrophy"—basically, her jaw muscles look bigger. This can happen from stress or grinding your teeth (bruxism), which makes the jaw look wider and the cheeks look more sunken by comparison.
- Dr. Matthew Nykiel, a plastic surgeon who analyzed her photos, isn't convinced she had surgery. He points out that the "shadow line" in her cheeks has actually been there since she was a teenager; it’s just more visible now that she’s matured.
- The Counter-Argument: Other specialists argue that the transition is too dramatic for just "aging." They point to the specific way the light hits her mid-face as a sign of missing fat pads.
Jenna herself has stayed quiet. She’s talked about the "disturbing" level of scrutiny stars face, but she hasn't confirmed or denied the Jenna Ortega fat removal rumors. And why should she? In Hollywood, your face is your business, and the mystery usually helps the brand.
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The Risk of Getting It Done Too Early
If she did do it, it’s a risky move. Buccal fat is like a savings account for your face. As you hit your 40s and 50s, you naturally lose facial volume. People who get fat removal in their 20s often end up looking prematurely aged or "gaunt" later in life because they don't have that cushion anymore. It's a permanent decision for a temporary trend.
What This Means for You
If you're looking at Jenna and thinking you need to hollow out your own cheeks, hold on. Most pros suggest waiting until you're at least 25 or 30 before touching that fat. Your face is still changing.
If you want that look without the surgery, here is the "insider" way to do it:
- Strategic Contouring: Use a taupe or "ash" colored contour, not a warm bronzer. Apply it slightly higher than you think, right under the bone.
- Lymphatic Drainage: Some of that "puffiness" is just fluid. Face rolling or Gua Sha can actually make a noticeable difference in jaw definition.
- Wait it Out: Seriously. If you're 19 or 20, your face hasn't finished its final "thinning" phase.
Whether it's genetics, a strict training regimen for her stunt-heavy roles, or a very talented makeup artist, the obsession with Jenna's face says more about our "snatched" culture than it does about her. Trends change, but bone structure is forever.
Before booking a consultation, try a different eyebrow shape or a new contour kit. You might find that the "surgery" you wanted was just a different lighting setup all along.