Facial Fat Grafting / Facial Fat Transfer

Facial fat grafting or facial fat transfer is a surgical procedure that uses the body’s own fat to restore volume in a facial area affected by the aging process. This procedure is commonly performed to rejuvenate facial regions like

• Cheeks
• Nasolabial folds
• Paranasal areas
• Under-eye bags
• Under-eye hollows
• Lips

Unlike hyaluronic-acid fillers, autologous fat is a longer-lasting filler. However, the estimated fat retention ranges from 20-80%, and the percentage of fat retention may vary from person to person, depending on various factors.

Who Are The Ideal Candidates For Facial Fat Grafting?

Facial fat grafting is suitable for individuals

• With sunken or creased areas on the face.
• Who want to fill in depressions, reduce scars, or improve facial volume.
• Who are looking for longer-lasting solutions compared to what can be achieved with temporary fillers.

Facial Areas Treated With Facial Fat Grafting

Fat grafting can improve the contouring of any facial area that can be treated with dermal fillers. The injected fat integrates with the native tissue and promotes a more natural contour.

Common facial regions treated with facial fat grafting include the following.

Forehead

Aging signs on the forehead that can be treated with facial fat grafting include

• Distorted configuration and position of the eyebrows and lids.
• An overall decrease in the structure of the forehead affects the harmony and expressiveness of the face.
• Sunken eyebrows, making a face look somber and tired.

Eyes

The aging effect makes your eyes look tired. These eyes are treated with fat transfer and are identifiable with:

• Droopy eyelids.
• Deeply sunken eyes due to excess or insufficient eyes.
• Changes in color around the eyes, forming dark circles.
• Bags under the eyes.

Nose

The course of aging may affect your nose in the following ways and can be treated with fat grafting

• The appearance of the nose may change with age.
• The strengthening of the external nasal hump(dorsum or bridge of the nose).
• Lengthening of the nose due to the drooping or elongated nasal tip.

Mouth

Specific changes tend to occur in the mouth area as a result of aging and are treated at our clinic, such as

• Drooping corners of the mouth
• Thinned lips due to significantly narrower red of the lips
• Deep wrinkles around the mouth
• Loss of volume in the lip and cheek area
• Reduced height of the upper and lower jaw
• Excess skin in the area of the lower jaw (Bassett’s cheeks)

Cheeks (middle face)

Aging causes loss of volume in the cheeks and facial muscles. This leads to

• Dark circles or bags under the eyes.
• Narrower cheeks.
• Basset cheeks.
• More noticeable nasolabial folds.
• Reversal of the midface triangle (A youthful face has a downward-facing midface triangle tip, whereas an aging face has an upward-facing tip).

Neck

One of the most apparent signs of aging is a less toned neck, which is generally identifiable with

• Reduced skin elasticity.
• (Transverse) folds and even small skin bags that hang down (turkey neck).
• Skin muscle (platysma) becoming much more visible and forming so-called collars.

Facial fat grafting addresses all these concerns to bring a youthful change in your facial appearance. It works like turning the clock back on your facial structure. At Dubai Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, we provide this treatment through our team of highly skilled surgeons and practitioners.

Facial Fat Grafting Procedure

Facial fat grafting involves surgery to harvest fat that has to be transferred to the recipient area. Therefore, it is performed under local or general anesthesia, depending on the patient’s preferences.

Autologous fat transfer for facial rejuvenation involves three steps, namely

• Fat harvesting
• Fat processing or purification
• Fat grafting

Fat Harvesting

Fat is generally harvested from body areas that are typically rich in adipose fat cells. Those areas include the abdomen, buttocks, thighs, and flanks. Occasionally, the fat is extracted from the submental site, typically when facial fat grafting is accompanied by double chin reduction. The fat is harvested using liposuction.

Fat Processing or Purification

The harvested fat solution contains additional components like blood, dead adipocytes, and local anesthetic. These impurities can promote inflammation, necrosis, and vasoconstriction, affecting graft uptake. Therefore, it is necessary to process and purify the harvested fat in a lab setting before grafting it into the recipient area.

Fat Grafting or Transfer

The autologous fat is injected into the recipient areas of the face using 1ml syringes. The surgeon may make stab incisions in the skin using an 18 GA needle in order to access the underlying fatty layer in a better way. The autologous fat is delivered in multiple passes, each of 0.1ml, with withdrawing movements.

Facial Fat Transfer Recovery

Facial fat grafting is a surgical procedure that leads to a recovery duration and some downtime. So, it is generally advised to take off from work for 7-10 days following the procedure. It may take a few weeks for the swelling to subside and for the results to become evident.

The final results of facial fat grafting are visible after about six months.

It is imperative to note that the recovery duration after facial fat grafting varies from person to person.

To ensure the best results, you must follow all the aftercare instructions provided by your surgeon.

Risks and Complications

Besides bruising, swelling, and redness caused by liposuction and fat injection, Facial fat grafting has a lower risk of some complications compared to other filler options, but there are still potential risks and side effects that can occur like

• Prolonged edema or erythema
• Cyst formation
• Fat necrosis
• Fat hypertrophy
• Intravascular injection

You must get this treatment from a skilled surgeon to avoid these side effects.

Face Rejuvenation FAQs

Our Surgeons

Prof Dr. Robert Hierner

Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgeon

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Get a Consultation

It is necessary to consult with a surgeon before getting the treatment because only an expert can tell you about the most suitable treatment for your skin. He/she will examine your skin and will guide you about the procedure. At Dubai Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, we offer an initial consultation to our patients who are willing to get facial rejuvenation through fat transfer. You can consult with our plastic surgeons in detail and decide whether facial rejuvenation is for you or not. So, don’t miss the opportunity and book your appointment now.