Fat Transfer vs. Dermal Fillers for Facial Volume Loss

While you usually hear about collagen for its role in keeping your skin smooth and lifted, you may not realize that it also provides most of your skin’s volume. As you age, this important protein decreases, leading to skin laxity, hollowness, and lines and wrinkles. Facial fat also decreases with age, especially in areas like the cheeks and under the eyes. Dermal fillers and fat transfer are two of the most effective ways to restore facial volume and a full, youthful look.

What Causes Facial Volume Loss?

A large part of your facial volume loss comes from unavoidable aging processes, such as a decrease in collagen production and changes in facial fat. Factors within your control include sun damage, smoking, and poor nutrition. Even those with an excellent skincare routine and healthy lifestyle will experience volume loss, especially women since menopause causes skin aging to accelerate. Fortunately, you have several options for restoring your youthful look.

Fat Transfer vs. Dermal Fillers for Facial Volume Loss

One of the most effective ways to address volume loss is to replace the lost fat or collagen with natural-looking volume. This volume can come in the form of dermal fillers or fat transfer. Each of these options has different benefits that might make one more suitable for your needs, goals, and lifestyle.

How Do They Work?

Dermal fillers are injectable treatments that restore volume to your facial features. They come in a wide range of formulas to address different concerns and use biologically safe materials such as hyaluronic acid, a natural hydrating agent. They are injected in a quick in-office procedure with minimal discomfort. Some fillers add immediate volume, while others trigger collagen production to add it over time.

Fat transfer uses fat from another location on your body and transfers it to areas of your face that need volume. The fat is collected using liposuction and purified before being injected into the desired areas. These fat cells are alive and will establish themselves in this new location. While the risks of a reaction to dermal fillers are very low, the risks of a reaction to your own fat are almost nonexistent.

What are They Used For?

Both treatments are used to correct volume loss and smooth wrinkles almost anywhere on your face. Common uses include:

Undereye area
Cheeks
Lips and fine lines around the mouth
Lines and wrinkles
Deep creases (nasolabial folds, marionette lines)
Jawline

Only a consultation can determine which treatment will work better to address your concerns. Each may be more suitable for different uses.

How Long Do They Last?

The lifespan of dermal fillers can vary widely depending on the type of filler and the location where it is used. Hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm® can last one to two years, with cheek and jawline fillers lasting the longest. Fillers like Radiesse® and Bellafil® can last several years but are not suitable for all locations or uses.

One of the biggest advantages of fat transfer is that once your transferred fat cells have settled in, they will remain in place for a lifetime. They can change in size with weight changes but will not move or disappear. Most people never need a touch-up or maintenance of their results. However, fat transfer may not be recommended for some uses.

Is There Any Downtime?

An advantage of dermal fillers is the lack of downtime. Injections take as little as 15 minutes, and in most cases, no one can tell you have had them. Some people experience minor swelling, redness, or bruising lasting up to a few days.

Because fat transfer uses liposuction, you can expect some swelling and soreness in the area where the fat was collected. Most people return to work within a week or two and their usual activities after about four to six weeks. The treated areas of your face may also experience some swelling and sensitivity. They may also look fuller than you expected at first since some fat cells do not survive the transfer.

How to Choose Between Fat Transfer and Dermal Fillers

Choosing between these two options for facial fat loss depends on many factors.

People often choose dermal fillers because:

They are quick and convenient
They require no downtime
They can be used for a wide range of concerns
The results are temporary in case you are not happy with them

You may choose fat transfer because:

It lasts a lifetime
It is often cheaper in the long term
It uses only fat taken from your own body
It provides smooth, natural-looking result

We recommend a consultation so you can discuss your concerns and your surgeon can perform an examination to determine which method is best for you. Your best results may be achieved by a combination of different methods.

Take the Next Step – Request a Consultation

Want to learn more about fat transfer or dermal fillers? Schedule your consultation online or by calling Specialty Aesthetic Surgery at (212) 737-8700. We look forward to working with you!

Specialty Aesthetic Surgery serves the greater NYC metro area.

About Our Surgeons

Bruce Moskowitz is an experienced and board-certified oculoplastic surgeon. His practice encompasses all areas of oculoplastic cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He has a well-known reputation for revision surgery, and a large portion of his practice comes from other colleagues to revise sub-optimal outcomes.

Grigoriy Mashkevich is an experienced and double-board certified facial plastic surgeon. He belongs to a highly select group of surgeons with a focused specialization in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the nose, face, and neck.

Dr. Anna Frants is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon who is experienced in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Her areas of expertise include surgery of the face, neck, nose, eyelids, eyebrows, and ears.

*Individual results may vary