Facial Fat Grafting
What is Facial Fat Grafting?
Facial fat grafting is a surgical rejuvenation procedure where liposuction is performed on a section of your body with available fatty tissue. The harvested fat is then processed and placed into small syringes for transfer into areas of the face that require volume repletion. Common areas of volume depletion due to aging include the cheeks, paranasal (around the nostrils), nasolabial folds, forehead, lips, undereye bags, and hollows of the eyes.
Facial fat grafting is a form of permanent filler. However, retention of the injected fat is approximately 60%. Simultaneous injection of platelet rich plasma or PRP, harvested and processed from your blood, improves fat survival. But this will be an added cost.
Am I a good candidate for Facial Fat Grafting?
- The facial changes that occur with aging can be described as volume loss, downward migration of the once tightly suspended structures such as the fat pads under your eyes and cheeks, and thinning of your skin and bones. Wrinkles develop across your neck, your nasolabial folds (smile lines) deepen, the fat pads in your cheeks descend and shrink creating eye bags, your lips lose volume, and your eye brows droop. Typically, the beginning of this aging journey becomes visibly apparent in your mid to late twenties. Facial fat grafting effectively addresses the issue of volume loss with aging.
- If you are young but are unsatisfied with the 3D contour, projection, and shape of certain facial structures such as your cheeks, forehead, and chin, facial fat grafting may benefit you.
Recovery
- Your plastic surgeon may opt to inject minute amounts of botox into certain areas to minimize resorption of the newly transferred fat. If this is the case, you may notice mild decreases in muscle function. But this is temporary and your plastic surgeon will not over-inject resulting in complete muscular dysfunction.
- Mild to moderate facial swelling is expected
- Moderate pain and swelling at liposuctioned area is expected. Pain is well controlled with over the counter and prescription medications
- You will receive compression bandages after surgery. These should be worn consistently (24/7, with exception to breaks for showers) for a minimum of 2 weeks.
- You will experience bruising at the liposuctioned site, this usually resolves within 2-3 weeks.
- Typically, this procedure does not require a clinic visit for suture removal
- You may return to work (desk job) after 3-7 days. This is dependent on your comfort level.
- You may begin to gradually resume physical activity 2 weeks after surgery.