What is Facial Fat Grafting?

While many people associate wrinkles and loose skin with aging, one of the factors that can make you look older is the loss of facial volume. Areas like the cheeks and under the eyes can develop a hollow appearance over time. Facial fat grafting is a long-lasting way to restore this lost volume using your own body fat, providing a refreshed, youthful look. 

What is Facial Fat Grafting?

One paradox of aging is the accumulation of unwanted body fat while losing facial fat and volume. Facial fat grafting is a form of fat transfer that collects fat from an area where you have more than you want, then processes it and transfers it to the places you need it most. 

Along with restoring lost volume, fat transfer can also add fat to enhance or augment areas like the chin, cheekbones, and jawline. It can be used almost anywhere dermal fillers can, but with longer-lasting results.

How Does Facial Fat Grafting Work?

You will usually receive local anesthesia or IV sedation to keep you comfortable during your facial fat grafting procedure. Your surgeon will use liposuction to collect fat from a part of your body that has enough, often the abdomen, waist, or hips. 

This harvested fat contains stem cells and living fat cells that can survive the transfer and integrate (graft) into their new location. Fat cells work the same way regardless of where in the body you find them, so this transferred fat restores the natural appearance of your own youthful volume. 

What is Recovery Like After Facial Fat Transfer?

People with low-activity jobs can typically return to work within two or three days of their procedure. However, you may still experience some swelling and bruising that can last up to three weeks. Most people return to their usual activities, including lifting objects over 20 pounds, after about a week.

What Results Will I See With Facial Fat Grafting?

While most of your swelling resolves within a few weeks, you will have minor swelling that usually lasts a few months. During this time, you will notice that your results become more refined and even more aesthetically pleasing than they were initially. 

Because fat lasts a lifetime, the fat transferred to your facial features can stay there for the rest of your life. However, significant weight changes that affect the fat elsewhere in your body can also affect your facial fat, so we recommend maintaining a stable weight and healthy lifestyle. 

Am I a Good Candidate for Facial Fat Grafting?

Because your body does not react to the transfer of its own fat cells, facial fat grafting is a safe, lasting alternative to injectable treatments like dermal fillers. Good candidates have realistic expectations and are in overall good health. Candidates must also have enough body fat to use for their graft. 

Take the Next Step

Want to learn more about what you can expect from facial fat grafting? Schedule a consultation at Awaken Aesthetics in Torrance, CA, to learn more by calling (310) 791-2233