At a glance

Concerns: wrinkles, lack of facial fullness
Procedure: fat removed and transferred to new location via syringe with local anesthetic
Time to complete: 1hr under local anesthesia
Time to recover: a few days, with over-the-counter pain medication
Result: significant and immediate
Longevity: usually permanent
Risk: low
Cost: $3000 to $5000

What is Fat Grafting?

Wrinkles begin to appear as collagen and elastin fibers in the skin break down. This breakdown can also be attributed to excessive squinting, frowning and smiling. Fat transfer (also called autologous fat transfer or micro-lipoinjection), fills facial features with a patient’s own fat. Because the fat comes from your own body, you cannot develop an allergic reaction. Fat transfer to the face is a safe procedure designed to re-contour the face and provide definition to cheeks, chin, lips and lower eyes.

How is Fat Grafting performed?

The fat used for fat transfer is liposuctioned from another part of your body like the abdomen or thighs and injected into another area that requires plumping. Fat grafting is performed in our office on an outpatient basis. Both the area from which the fat is taken and the treatment site are anesthetized with a local anesthetic. Using a small needle attached to a syringe, fat is removed from a donor site where your fat is most tightly packed, such as your abdomen.
Once removed, your fat is processed to remove excess fluids and then reinjected using another needle, which is placed just under your skin beneath the wrinkle. This process may be repeated until the desired correction has been achieved.

Is Fat Grafting the right choice for me?

Injected fat is very suitable for the correction of grooves under the eyes and sunken cheeks, or for atrophic aging of the hands. Fat injections are not as effective in areas of frequent animation, such as for creating fuller lips. Fat grafting to the breast can be useful for correcting small asymmetries.

What is the recovery period like?

Swelling and discomfort is expected after fat injection though can be easily controlled with over-the-counter pain medication. There may also be some bruising, usually at the donor site. Over the first six months, the swelling will gradually subside and some of the fat will be reabsorbed by your body. The fat remaining after this period is permanent. The procedure can be repeated multiple times to achieve the desired effect.