Fat grafting is a procedure that involves harvesting unwanted fat cells from particular areas of your body and utilizing them in other areas of your body by transferring, or grafting, them. The unwanted fat is purified and re-injected into a different part of the body.

In facial fat grafting, the cheeks, jawline, areas under the eye, and nasolabial folds can be injected with purified fat. A facial fat grafting treatment will make your face look a lot fuller, restoring volume lost during the aging process.

What It Treats

A facial fat grafting procedure can do wonders to your facial appearance. It can treat several skin conditions, including the following:

  • Wrinkles and fine lines
  • Dark circles
  • Bags under the eyes
  • Frown lines or worry lines
  • Tired-looking face
  • Hollow areas around the midface, temples, cheeks, and chin
  • Thin lips
  • Saggy skin
  • Scars
  • Acne scars

After the injections, the general structure of the face will look much improved. The skin will also look better, healthier, and rejuvenated. Fat grafting means adding fat under the skin for greater support. The transferred fat fills out your facial structure and corrects all the above-mentioned problems. Blood circulation in the face is also enhanced.

A Three-Step Procedure

Facial fat grafting involves three steps:

  • Using liposuction to extract fat
  • Centrifugation and processing of the fat
  • Reinjection of the fat

Your doctor or surgeon will first apply local anesthesia to the donor areas to numb them. Fat will then be extracted from the chosen parts of your body; options include the thighs, back, hips, and abdomen. To get the best results, thin cannulae with very fine holes are used to extract the fat.

A special centrifuge is used to decant and process the extracted fat. Proper processing of the fat is extremely crucial. The processing is done in such a way that high-density and high-quality fat are yielded.

The processed, or purified fat, is then reinjected into the facial feature that will be treated. The newly injected fat will make the face look younger and more proportionate.

The Post-Treatment Recovery Process

Patients usually feel a degree of discomfort after the procedure. There will be some swelling in the donor and recipient areas. You will have to take care that no pressure is applied to the recipient area for at least three weeks after the procedure.

Blood vessels take four days to grow in the newly injected fat areas. They develop and strengthen in another two or three days. The surrounding areas (extracellular matrix) of the fat graft become properly developed and strong in two to three weeks. The healthier these areas are, the more grafted fat will survive and thrive. This leads to the best and longest-lasting results.

You will have to take certain precautions after the procedure. You will have to wear surgical tape around the recipient areas for five days. Your head has to be kept in an elevated position for a week, and you will need to lie on your back while sleeping.

It will be very important to come in for follow-up visits. During these, we will be able to ensure that there are no post-surgical complications of any kind.

Get In Touch for a Consultation

Speak with double-board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Gregory Park to find out more about facial fat transfer and its numerous benefits. If you would like to arrange a consultation with Dr. Park, contact our office today.