Fat Transfer & Injections Overview
Facial lipo-injection is a procedure that sculpts and restores the face to its natural beauty. Age and exercise can produce fat atrophy (loss) in the faceresulting in a sunken, drawn appearance. Facial fat transfer recreates the natural, healthy appearance of a youthful face by restoring volume to it.
The fat is removed from the donor site (usually the belly, thighs or hips) with a small needle and processed to remove excess fluids and damaged fat cells. These fat cells are then injected using a smaller needle just under the wrinkle or deep within the muscle (in some areas) to restore facial volume.
Also known as facial fat grafting or lipofilling, fat injection is a facial rejuvenation technique that can restore volume to the cheeks and temples, plump thin lips, enhance blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) results, and smooth deep nasolabial folds and marionette lines. It can also improve the appearance of pitted acne scars. The major sign of ageing in the face is loss of volume, particularly in areas like the cheeks, lips, and around the eyes, and some patients may want to consider fat injections, as a standalone procedure or coupled with a blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), rhytidectomy (facelift) or other face and neck procedure. Fat transfer results are natural, long lasting and safe.
Fat injections can rejuvenate these areas of the face:
- Temples
- Forehead
- Glabella (between the eyebrows)
- Hollow upper eyelids
- Under-eyes
- Cheeks
- Nasolabial folds
- Marionette lines
- Lips
- Chin
- Jawline
From Where Does The Fat Come From?
The fat to be used for facial fat injection is collected from various body parts. It is often preferred to be collected from the abdominal area, however, fat can also be collected from the flanks or hips.
As an outpatient procedure, facial fat transfer is considered a minimally invasive plastic surgery procedure and the fat that is harvested from your own body’s excess reserves, is usually extracted from the hips, thighs, abdomen, or neck via a gentle liposuction technique.
At times this “donor area” fat is processed with a centrifuge or filter, and then injected as a purified form into the treatment area as a graft, to enhance facial fullness, plump, lift, smooth and fill creases, build up shallow contours, and restore volume loss. The most common method of fat transfer, known as microfat transfer, injects the fat in tiny droplets (often called “microdroplets”).
When fat is further processed, filtered and refined, it becomes “nanofat” that can rejuvenate thin, crepey skin, improving areas like the tear troughs (or under-eye hollows) and the skin of the upper lip. Nanofat does not contain any intact fat cells—since they rupture during processing—so it can’t add volume; it’s used solely to improve the quality, tone, and texture of the skin.
Fat is one of the best sources of stem cells, so autologous ("from the same person") fat transfer provides additional facial rejuvenation and anti-aging benefits, thanks to its growth factors and their ability to stimulate collagen growth beyond the treatment area. Since nanofat contains fat-derived stem cells, but no whole fat cells, it’s used purely for tissue regeneration.
Some doctors complement nanofat or microfat injections with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) to boost their regenerative effects and, in the case of microfat, improve the chances of graft survival.
Fat Transfer and Injection Procedure
As was mentioned, liposuction procedures on the body or other facial surgeries can often be combined with volume restoration of the face, transferring the removed fat to areas where it is needed. During this combined surgery, fat is removed from your donor area through a suction cannula in the same way a liposuction procedure is performed. This is done very gently to help minimize trauma to the fat cells during the process. The fat is then centrifuged and purified to separate the fat cells from the harvested fluid.
- Once your face is numbed with local anesthesia, your surgeon will insert a tiny cannula into the area that’s being treated, passing it into the treatment area multiple times so that every bit of injected fat is adjacent to living tissue with a good blood supply.
- This fat is then expertly injected while contouring, massaging and molding the target area, to give the desired effect. Each pass deposits a small amount of fatty tissue, and most surgeons believe in a certain level of ‘over-correcting’ since not all the injected fat will survive. They must, however, be careful not to overfill the tissues which can reduce viability. Once the fat cells are positioned, they will have to establish a new blood supply in order to survive.
- The fat is injected using blunt needles so no facial scars are created during the procedure. As opposed to synthetic dermal fillers, the transferred fat stays permanently where it is placed. However, the grafted fat has to redevelop a blood supply in order to survive. Sometimes it is necessary to repeat the procedure as some of the fat is absorbed, but often one treatment is all you need.
Fat Transfer & Injection Recovery
- Patients typically take 1 week of recovery time after facial fat grafting. You’ll be able to resume most activities within 3 to 5 days, but it usually takes a few more days to look “restaurant ready.” In the first week after your procedure, you‘ll likely experience some swelling, bruising, inflammation, and soreness at the injection sites. Swelling should subside within 2 weeks. Keeping your face elevated on pillows, especially while you sleep, can help reduce puffiness. Most surgeons don’t recommend icing, which can reduce fat survival.
- A dressing or bandages may be applied after surgery dependent on the area grafted. This will be changed at your first post-operative appointment.
- You may feel tender and there may be some swelling after the procedure. A pressure garment may be required on your donor area just like in liposuction. Like all surgical procedures, early mobilization after surgery promotes healthier circulation and a quicker recovery. Any injection-site bruising should also disappear within 2 weeks. Until then, it can be covered with makeup
- You’ll see your final results from facial fat transfer about 9 months after your procedure. In the first three months, 40–60% of the fat cells will die off, so most surgeons overfill, in anticipation of this fat loss. Because of this, in the first two to four months, the face may seem overfilled or puffy in the areas that were injected. At three to four months, the volume will be in its lowest state, and from four to nine months, the fat cells that have survived will start to plump up. The stem cells will “wake up” and start transforming into new fat cells.
Fat Transfer & Injection FAQs
Does the Facial Fat Injection Cause Dark Spots On The Skin?
Facial fat injection requires only the introduction of the needle of the injector into the skin. Other than this, no additional interventions are performed on the surface of the skin; therefore, it is not possible to induce dark skin spots.
Can Facial Fat Injection Be Repeated?
A repeat injection can be performed after 6 months following the first facial fat injection. A repeat procedure is only associated with a slight skin discoloration. However, the risk is low.
How Much Fat Will Be Persistent After The Facial Injection?
Research has shown that approximately half of the transferred fat can survive only for 6 months. The fat will be more permanent on the less movable areas of the face. Persistence will be less in the actively moving areas.
Will Facial Asymmetry Occur Due To The Resorption Of the Transferred Fat?
No. The transferred fat in the facial injection procedure is resorbed homogeneously. The symmetrical appearance on the face will not be disturbed after the resorption of the transferred fat.
Can Facial Fat Injection Procedure Be Applied To The Eyelids?
Yes. Fat can be injected into the eyelids, too, just as any area on the face.
Can A Facial Fat Injection Cause An Allergic Reaction?
As the procedure involves the transfer of fat harvested only from the individual’s body, there is no risk of allergic reactions.
