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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.

Asked 38 months ago by Need2KNow in chicago

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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

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Brent Moelleken, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

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

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Michael Law, MD

Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

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

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

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.

David Shafer, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

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

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS

Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

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

Kevin F. Hagan, MD

Nashville Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

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.

Daniel P. Markmann, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

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!

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

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.

Stephen A. Goldstein, MD

Denver Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Radiesse is a good option in these cases

While there is a variable amount of loss of the grafted fat after injection, I think it is still a very good option for volume enhancement, especially in the face. That being said, I often Radiesse to address just the type of concerns you have, and the advantage of it is that you don't need surgery, it can be done in the office, it looks very natural and will last a year or longer. It's worth discussing this option with your surgeon and seeing what his or her thoughts are, but I think it... more

Shahram Salemy, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Fat transfer

Once a fat graft has established a new blood supply it will respond to weight loss or weight gain as it did from the area it was harvested from. Outside of surgical procedures there is no such thing as targeted weight loss - meaning that those commercials you see for loosing abdominal fat just don't make sense. When people lose weight from exercise and diet they loose it from everywhere. But the rate of weight loss or gain for each particular area can be different (additionally rates of... more

Steven H. Williams, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Fat Transfer and Weight Fluctuations

Hi Need to Know, When performed properly, fat transfer is a safe, effective, and permanent method of adding volume to the face. Using proper techniques, approximately 50 % to 60% of the fat transferred to the face will re-establish blood supply and live. It has been clinically proven that after 6 months, the fat that is still present will remain permanently, though the face will continue to age normally. If you plan to lose weight and not gain it back, it is best to have your fat transfer... more

Michael A. Persky, MD

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

If you want fat injections,stabilize your weight!

Minor weight fluctuations are probably not going to matter,large one could unpredictably affect your results ! to much weight loss or gain and most of the fat could have vanished and vice versa. just like in liposuction a stable weight is desirable. in either case re injection is far more common than removal.after several thousands of cases i have only re aspirated fat in 1 case!

Christian G. Drehsen, MD

Tampa Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfers and weight fluctuations

Ideally, a person's weight stays steady over time. Large fluctuations in weight will lead to changes in the fat grafts placed since it is living fat cells. Plans for weight changes, exercise habits, and diet are all discussed preoperatively and postoperatively to make sure that fat transfer is the best method of facial rejuvenation as opposed to an alternative treatment.

Anil R. Shah, MD

Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon

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

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Ricardo Rodriguez, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Fat injected will behave as it did where it came from

Fat injections are a great way to volumize the face. The survival of the fat is largely dependent on the technique that is employed. Once the fat finds its own blood supply it will survive as it did where it originally resided. Research has shown that we are born with the same number of fat cells in our body and the fat cells that we have get larger and smaller based on what our weight is. When the fat is placed into the face, typically it is believed that the cells are donor dominant. This... more

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Philip Young, MD

Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

The fat may not "take"

Fat injections may not “take” as they are a graft. Some cells may not live in the new environment of the cheek. Many patients have had long term results of living fat cells for many years, not just one year with fat injections. I have not noted in my patients that this fat decreases with weight loss as much as the other body parts when weight loss is considerable.

Ronald Shelton, MD

Manhattan Dermatologist

Fat is Fat.

Fat injections are a wonderful tool for plastic surgeons and the patient can't be allergic to it. However, even with the best candidate, typically only about 1/3 of the injected fat will stay after about 2 weeks. The remainder has to establish a new blood supply and will then get larger and smaller as your weight changes. It is the same as fat anywhere else in your body would. Remember that fat injections, or fat removal (liposuction) are to improve your contours and proportions. So... more

Darrick E. Antell, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Possibly

Fat injections to the face can be a permanent filler. However there is some reabsorption, and I tell patients that they may require more than 1 or even 2 treatments. Yes, if you lose weight the fat injections may thin out. It should react like fat in other parts of the body. The cells will stay but they probably will deflate a bit.

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Yes, you can lose added facial fat after weight loss!

I have noted that patients can lose part of the injected fat with significant weight loss. the extent of this depends on the areas of injection. injection into the facial area often times disapears faster than other areas. I have noted that my patients after buttock augmentation with fat graffting are retaining most of thier injected fat, but fat injected into the cheeks tends to absorbe to some degree over a year.

S. Sean Younai, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Think about Sculptra

Hi- fat throughout the body is likely to be affected by the hormones that circulate during weight loss- but your concerns for the cost of implants are understandable. Ask your surgeon about Sculptra- its a great option for filling out hollowed areas or increasing volume deficiencies in areas traditionally treated with implants (on the face). It won't require surgery, is less expensive than implants, and last up to TWO years. Happy Holidays!

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