Fat Grafting to the Face
Volume loss is one of the earliest and most noticeable signs of facial aging, and it can make us look tired, hollow, or less vibrant than we feel. Facial fat grafting offers a natural, long-lasting way to restore youthful fullness and soften the signs of aging using your own body’s tissue. Unlike temporary fillers, fat grafting integrates into your facial structure, providing soft, balanced volume that enhances your features without making you look overdone.
I’m Dr. Leela, and I offer advanced fat grafting techniques to create elegant, natural results tailored to your facial anatomy. Whether performed alone or in combination with a facelift, facial fat transfer can beautifully restore volume where it’s needed most — without the use of synthetic fillers.
Who Is a Candidate for Facial Fat Grafting?
You may be a good candidate for facial fat grafting if you:
- Notice hollowing in the cheeks, under the eyes, temples, or jawline
- Have age-related facial volume loss that makes you appear tired or drawn
- Want a natural alternative to dermal fillers
- Have adequate fat available in donor areas (such as the abdomen or thighs)
- Prefer long-term results
During your consultation, I’ll examine your facial structure and skin quality to determine whether fat grafting alone or in combination with other procedures will help you achieve your best results.
Benefits of Fat Grafting to the Face
Fat grafting offers a beautifully natural way to restore youthful volume and soften the signs of aging. Some of the key benefits include:
- Replenishing volume in areas like the cheeks, under the eyes, temples, and jawline
- Softening facial folds and restoring smoother, more youthful contours
- Offering a gentle, natural alternative to synthetic fillers
- Using your own fat for a biocompatible, organic approach to facial rejuvenation
- Providing long-lasting results without any need for regular maintenance treatments
During your consultation, we’ll explore how fat grafting — by itself or alongside other procedures — can offer you beautifully balanced results for a soft, elegant rejuvenation.
About the Procedure
Facial fat grafting is a natural, long-lasting way to restore youthful volume, soften lines, and enhance facial harmony — using your own body’s tissue. This technique allows for subtle yet meaningful rejuvenation by carefully transferring fat from one area of the body to strategic areas of the face. Because the fat is your own, there’s no risk of allergic reaction, and the results are long-lasting — even permanent.
Surgical Techniques
Facial fat grafting is performed in three carefully controlled stages:
- Harvesting: I begin by performing gentle liposuction to collect a small amount of fat from another area of your body, such as the abdomen or thighs.
- Purification: The harvested fat is then meticulously processed and refined to remove any excess fluid or impurities, ensuring the highest quality for reinjection.
- Transfer: Using fine, specialized cannulas, I carefully inject the purified fat into targeted areas of the face — sculpting soft, smooth contours with precision and artistry.
This layered, multi-step approach allows me to restore volume in a way that looks and feels natural, while complementing your existing facial structure.
Recovery and Healing
When performed on its own, recovery after fat grafting is relatively minimal. You may experience mild swelling or bruising in both the donor and injection areas, which typically subsides within 1 to 2 weeks. Light makeup can be worn once swelling improves. Most patients return to normal activities within 3 to 5 days. Some of the transferred fat may be naturally reabsorbed, but most of it permanently integrates into the facial tissue for long-lasting, often permanent results. The final results typically become more visible around 4 to 6 weeks and continue to refine over time.
When performed as a part of a facelift, the recovery is more extensive. You can expect bruising, swelling, and a feeling of tightness lasting 1 to 2 weeks. Surgical sutures are usually removed between 5 to 10 days after surgery. Most patients feel comfortable returning to work or social activities within 2 to 3 weeks. Light walking is encouraged early on, but more strenuous activity should be avoided for at least 4 to 6 weeks. The final results become more refined over the course of 2 to 3 months as swelling continues to resolve and the tissues settle naturally.
Facial Fat Grafting FAQs
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