Do Cheek Fat Injections Dissolve if I Lose Weight?

I am looking to get my cheeks done, and I noticed that the fat injections are a lot cheaper than implants. I was told they last up to a year. If I get the injections and I lost weight at any time, would my body dissolve that fat? My normal facial structure is long and shallow-faced.

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23 Doctor Answers | Asked by Need2KNow in chicago

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Community Comments (1)

Fat Grafting should last more than a year, Fat Grafting can be permanent

Fat grafting has been performed by plastic surgeons for decades. There is no question that fat is the ideal material for soft tissue augmentation, and that the results obtained with fat grafting are the most natural-appearing. However, one problem with this procedure in years past has been resorption (breakdown) of the grafted fat, so that the resulting improvement is not permanent. The grafted fat must gain its own blood supply in its new location in order to persist long-term, and this... more

Michael Law, MD

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Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

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Long term survival of fat injections, fat transfer, fat grafting.

TSurvival of Fat Grafting he long term survival of fat injections is unknown, despite many clinical studies to date. It seems that the fat grafting survival is highly dependent on the technique of injection and the viability of both the grafted fat as well as the recipient site. Although the scientific literature is replete with anecdotal evidence to support various methods of fat grafting, the majority of plastic surgeons and dermatologists believe that the majority of the fat will not... more

Cheek fat grafts do not "dissolve" with weight loss.

However, if you are under the impression that fat grafts last only a year, then you are talking to someone who is using fat that is non-viable before transfer (because of UAL, SmartLipo, or other damaging harvesting technique), or placing it in a recipient area that has inadequate circulation to support the living grafts. If the grafts survive (a portion of the grafted cells die, a portion develop blood supply, heal, and survive long term), they will provide permanent fullness to the... more

Do cheek fat injections dissolve if I lose weight?

The answer is, it depends. You have different fat cell populations in your body. Certain fat cells act like fat depots. That is, they are very quick to take up circulating triglycerides from your bloodstream after you eat. They then turn them into fat but will only release that fat back as energy under starvation circumstances. This is why certain fat bulges are so hard to get rid of, but come back so quick if you gain any weight at all. These fat depots create your shape, whether it is... more

The fat remembers where it came from

If you take fat from the abdomen or thighs and inject it into the face, it will still behave as it would have from its original site. In other words, if it would lose volume with weight loss when it was in the abdomen it will still lose volume when it is in the face. The opposite is also true. I have seen pictures at a national meeting of a patient with fat injections into the lower lids who gained 50 lbs and looked like a Japanese gold fish!

Survival of fat transfer

The survival of grafts initially depends on how alive they were at the time of surgery (i.e. transplantation). This is actually the most important consideration of how the grafts will behave, weight loss or not. Once fat transplantation grafts have stabilized, usually between 6 months and 2 years, they will probably behave as fat does from the area they were harvested from, i.e. the abdomen. So if a patient has stable fat injection grafts and then loses weight, they would be expected to... more

The fat will continue to behave just as it did before the transfer.

Need to Know, The fat will continue to behave just as it did before the fat transfer. So, if you gain or loose weight, the fat with grow or shrink, respectively. It is important that you have the fat transfer when you are at your realistic weight. I hope this is helpful.

Fat injections may vary with weight loss or gain.

Fat taken from one area of the body and injected into another will respond to weight loss or gain according to the area from which is was harvested. Some parts of the body, such as the belly, gain and loose weight more quickly than other parts, such as the face. Therefore, if you have fat taken from your abdomen and put in your face, once it has "taken" (at least 6 months), it will respond as if it were still in your belly: if you loose significant weight it will... more

What you need to understand with fat injections

What you have to understand is that it is the Fat CELLS that we are transplanting. These cells are a storage cell for fat. Therefore, whatever number of cells survive being transplanted to your face (or anywhere) should be there for life. But, if you lose weight, or with aging, you will probably lose volume in this area as these cells will likely shrink. If the volume is gone in a year, then most likely the cells didn't survive.

Fat grafting changes may occur following weight gain or loss.

Fat grafting is advantageous because it is 'made by your body for your body'. We usually forewarn patients that typically we see about a 35-40% take of the graft and that re-operation may be required 9-12 months later. Keep in mind that soft tissue fillers are another option. Thanks for your question.

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Comments (1)

JohnQ1 21 Feb 2013

Doctors won't tell you everything. You need to make certain you have no hidden health problems and if you do tell the doctor several times. My wife obviously didn't ask enough questions and she is still trying to get her face under control from a full face volumizer 281 days ago. Had she gone with a traditional face lift would have been completely healed by now. Good luck in your decision.

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