Fat Grafting
Fat grafting, also called fat transfer, is a cosmetic procedure where excess fat is removed from one area of your body and transferred to another to restore or add volume. Dr. Beale commonly uses fat grafting in the face: cheeks, under-eyes, temples, lips and/or jawline. It has the added benefit of slimming an area of unwanted fat, while enhancing another.
Contact UsFat Grafting At-A-Glance
- Performed under general anesthesia or IV sedation
- As a stand-alone procedure, length is approximately 30 minutes
- Outpatient or inpatient for one night (depending on any combined surgical procedures)
- Commonly performed with facelifts
- Recovery is 24 – 48 hours
- Minute puncture incisions
- Results are permanent
Because Every Detail Matters
Fat grafting uses your own tissue and is permanent, whereas fillers are manufactured and temporary. Fat grafting is a surgical procedure where liposuction removes fat from one area of your body and transfers it to another area. Fillers are injected without anesthesia or sedation.
Patients who have lost facial volume and desire a very natural look and texture (not sharp or overfilled) might be good candidates. You need enough good quality donor fat, typically from thighs, flanks or abdomen to transfer. It is also a permanent, not temporary, solution to add volume. Less commonly, fat grafting is used to enhance the size and shape of breast tissue.
Patients can return to work the next day and light exercise resumed within a week if performed as a stand-alone procedure. Expect slight bruising at both sites for a few weeks.
Fat grafting is very commonly performed with facelifts. As we age, we lose fat in areas of our faces. A facelift tightens and repositions skin and underlying tissue, but does not replace lost volume. Fat grafting fills hollows, softens wrinkles and improves long-term outcomes.
What to Expect From Fat Grafting with Dr. Beale
Dr. Beale will meet with you to determine your aesthetic goals and desires. If you have enough good quality fat for transfer and have sinking or hollow facial features, a fat transfer may be a good, restorative procedure. If you desire to add natural volume using your own tissue, Dr. Beale will help determine if the procedure can be stand-alone or if you will benefit from a facelift with fat transfer. A facelift lifts sagging tissue, while fat grafting restores youthful volume. When performed with a facelift, fat transfer avoids a pulled or hollow look. This combination gives you a balanced, natural, long-lasting rejuvenation.