Fat Grafting To The Face

Fat grafting can be used in any part the face to replenish depletion and loss of fat that occurs with aging. As many are familiar with using filler to replenish some of these areas, filler is being used to replace the loss of fat. Filler, although very safe and easily injected, does not last and patients can incur the repetitive cost for filler that is very expensive on a yearly basis. Filler (most often hydronic acid) is being used to replace or mimic fat, well guess what, it is even more appropriate to replace the loss of fat with fat. Using one’s own fat we have the ability to make changes that are more permanent without the recurring cost of yearly filler.

Fat grafting is a surgical procedure where fat is borrowed from a part of your body that may have ‘extra’. Fat is removed delicately using small 2 mm cannula‘s and then the fatty aspirate is processed by removing water, numbing agents, blood and non-viable fat cells and only the pure fat cells are then placed in the areas of fat loss in the face. Tiny entry sites are then made with a needle and small particles of fat can be placed via micro cannulas no bigger than the caliber of a needle. Fat can be placed in any area of deflation of the face including cheeks, nasal labial fold, marionette lines, jaw line, infra orbital hollows, deflation of the upper lids, and deflation the glabellar area. Fat can even be placed in deflated earlobes. This is a meticulous, precise process where tiny aloquots of fat are placed in the tissues to leave a natural and pleasing result.

You should expect some downtime with bruising and swelling. Discomfort with this procedure is minimal. There are no sutures placed in the face, although you may have some small tape strips that are removed in one week. An average of 50% of the fat will remain permanently. Patients are asked to keep their weight stable and not to gain or lose weight more than 5 pounds the first 3 months after the procedure.