How Does Facial Fat Grafting Work?
Facial fat grafting begins with liposuction. Your surgeon will work with you to decide which areas you would like to have some excess fat removed from. This fat is collected using a tool called a cannula and one or a few small incisions.
After collecting the fat cells, they are processed until only healthy, living cells remain. This fat is injected into your areas of concern, where it will undergo the grafting process. Once settled, these fat cells will not budge, although they can change in size.
Although each person’s needs differ, this procedure usually takes place using local anesthesia with or without sedation. This may change if you have more intensive liposuction or other procedures at the same time.
What are the Benefits of Facial Fat Transfer?
People who choose facial fat transfer typically love their results for several reasons.
No Artificial Fillers
Although dermal fillers are FDA-approved and safe for most people, they use synthetic materials that can, although rarely, cause a reaction in the body. Some people prefer not to have artificial materials injected into their skin. Facial fat grafting uses nothing, but your body’s fat cells, making it the only completely natural filler.
Natural-Looking Results
In the hands of an experienced surgeon, the results of fat transfer look seamlessly rejuvenated. Unlike dermal fillers, the injected fat cells precisely match the fat already existing in your face, allowing it to become a flawless part of your features. No one will be able to tell by look or touch that your volume comes from transferred fat.
Shapes and Contours
Facial fat grafting effectively restores the contours that volume loss has taken away from your features. One of its most popular uses is restoring full, healthy-looking cheeks, giving the appearance of more defined cheekbones and smoothing wrinkles in your mid-face. However, it has many other uses, especially in areas such as under the eyes and in the temples.
Long-Lasting Benefits
Because this procedure transfers living fat cells and allows them to become established, they can remain in their new location for the rest of your life. Although your overall appearance will still change as you age, you will always have more facial fullness than you would have without fat grafting.
Considering that most dermal fillers require injections every one to two years, facial fat grafting can be much more cost-efficient in the long term. People also enjoy the lifelong benefits without the need for regular maintenance.
