If you think that the only natural way to change your facial appearance is with dermal facial fillers like Restylane® or Juvederm®, think again. You can still smooth out the appearance of wrinkles, fill in sunken cheeks, or even plump up your lips by undergoing a facial fat transfer procedure.
A facial fat transfer involves harvesting your fat from areas of your body where it’s less wanted, like your thighs or abdomen, then injecting it into small parts of your face, such as your cheeks or your lips. Although there are some cautions about this procedure, it’s an excellent option for many people. Interested in learning more? The providers at Advanced Plastic Surgery Center explain more about the facial fat transfer procedure.
The three stages of facial fat transfer
A facial fat transfer has three critical stages, each is crucial to make the procedure successful.
Fat harvesting
The first stage is called “fat harvesting,” which may sound more alarming than it is. This involves taking fat from areas of your body where you have a bit extra to spare, like your abdomen or thighs. You and your doctor will discuss in advance which areas to target.
You’ll be under local anesthesia with sedation for this part, so you won’t feel anything that’s happening. The fat is removed from the donor area by a thin, hollow instrument called a cannula, similar to a narrow straw. It’s attached to a vacuum to collect the fat, very similar to how it’s done in liposuction.
Fat purification
Your fat has to be purified before it can be re-injected into another part of your body. This makes it less likely that your body will reject it. The fat is placed into a centrifuge machine, which spins the fat cells to remove impurities.
Fat transfer
Finally, it’s time to transfer the fat cells to the areas of your face that you’ve discussed with your doctor. Once your face has been numbed by local anesthesia, the fat will be injected into your face into the areas where you want to see more volume. This will be repeated several times until we achieve the desired results.
What can you expect after the procedure?
A facial fat transfer process is usually pretty uncomplicated. However, the results are not immediate, and you may experience some redness and swelling.
Any redness and bruising that you experience will likely disappear over the first week after the procedure. However, it’s advised that you take it easy during this week and avoid any vigorous activity to reduce the risk of bruising. You most likely won’t need any prescription pain relievers.
You may have swelling for the first week or two and some minor injection-site bruising, which can usually be covered up with makeup.
The results
The results of the procedure are generally gradual rather than immediate. Unfortunately, about 40-60% of the transferred fat cells will die off in the first three months. We expect this and slightly overfill your face to make up for what you will lose.
3-4 months after the procedure, your fat cells transferred to your face will be at their lowest volume. From 4-9 months, the fat cells that survived the transfer will begin to plump up. By nine months, any fat cells transferred to your face are generally considered permanent, although your face can change if you lose or gain weight.
Keep in mind that results are less predictable the older you are, and smokers are not usually considered good candidates for this procedure.
If you’re interested in facial fat transfer, it can be a great way to add volume to your face. Since we use your fat in the procedure, your body recognizes it as its own rather than a foreign substance. Contact us to schedule a consultation today or request an appointment online.
