Facial fat grafting is a surgery in which fat is suctioned from the donor area of the body (usually the abdomen, waist, thighs) and injected into the facial area – cheeks, lips, temples, underarms, etc. The result is smoother wrinkles, firmer, plumper, more vibrant facial skin, smoother facial contours, and a more youthful appearance.
Facial fat grafting is beneficial because it addresses two problems. It involves removing excess fat from an unwanted area of the body and using it to rejuvenate the face. Since the fat is transplanted from the same patient, there is no risk of rejection or allergic reactions, and the result is extremely natural.
Facial fat grafting is a surgery in which fat is suctioned from the donor area of the body (usually the abdomen, waist, thighs) and injected into the facial area – cheeks, lips, temples, underarms, etc. The result is smoother wrinkles, firmer, plumper, more vibrant facial skin, smoother facial contours, and a more youthful appearance.
Facial fat grafting is beneficial because it addresses two problems. It involves removing excess fat from an unwanted area of the body and using it to rejuvenate the face. Since the fat is transplanted from the same patient, there is no risk of rejection or allergic reactions, and the result is extremely natural.
The process of facial fat grafting surgery
The surgery is performed under general anaesthesia and takes 2 hours.
Facial fat grafting consists of several steps. Firstly, liposuction is performed on the donor area of the body. During liposuction, the body fat is carefully extracted to ensure that the cells remain intact. This precise extraction method allows the cells to be reattached to other areas of the body successfully. The liposuction is then processed using ultrasound and the surgeon uses a special instrument – a cannula – to inject very small amounts of fat into the desired facial area.
It is important to be aware that some of the fat cells typically do not survive when performing fat grafting on the face; on average, only about 30-50% of the fat survives. For this reason, hypercorrection is often necessary when a larger amount of fat is transplanted. For the same reason, multiple surgeries may sometimes be necessary to achieve maximum aesthetic results.
Before surgery
Before the surgery, skin changes, wrinkles and their depth are assessed. For 2-3 months before and after surgery, you should not follow a restrictive diet and should avoid cardio exercise.
Post-surgery period
Patients can go home the day after surgery, and it is recommended to return to work after 7-10 days.
The post-surgery period after face fat grafting involves the healing of the face itself. Additionally, it includes the recovery of the donor area on the body from which the fat was suctioned. Generally, liposuction is a well-tolerated surgery, which may be followed by bruising and swelling for about one to two weeks and sensory disturbances for a while, which then subsides. Healing is also directly related to the amount of liposuction. The more liposuction, the more bruising and swelling may occur and the longer the healing time.
Swelling, bruising, and pain in the facial area are expected for about a week after the surgery. This reaction is also normal in areas of the body where fat has been suctioned.
Intense physical activity should be avoided for about 2-3 months after surgery.
Surgical risk
As the surgery involves transplanting fat from the same person, there is no risk of rejection or allergic reactions. The main risk is the aforementioned reduction in the volume of fat transplanted, which depends on the individual characteristics of the body. In this case, an additional small-volume surgery is performed.
As after any other interventional procedure, bleeding, infection, pain, fluid accumulation, hypersensitivity or numbness in the face or in the donor area and asymmetry may occur after this surgery. All these complications can usually be avoided by following the surgeon’s recommendations after surgery.
Results
The first results of fat grafting on face can be seen after a few weeks, and the final result after 3-6 months.
It is important to know that the results of fat grafting are long-lasting, but the firmness of the face may change with weight gain or loss. Therefore, in order to maintain the results of the surgery, it is recommended to maintain a stable weight, eat a healthy diet and exercise, and not to smoke for at least one month before and after the surgery, as smoking reduces the adhesion of fat.
Frequently asked questions
