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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16 answers to “Do cheek fat injections dissolve if...”

A: Do cheek fat injections dissolve if I lose weight?

Ricardo Rodriguez, MD

 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... more

A: Fat injected will behave as it did where it came from

Philip Young, MD

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... more

A: Fat Grafting should last more than a year

Michael Law, MD

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... more

A: The fat remembers where it came from

Richard P. Rand, MD

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... more

A: The fat may not "take"

Ronald Shelton, MD

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... more

A: Fat grafting changes may occur following weight gain or loss.

Stephen A. Goldstein, MD

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.

A: Fat is Fat.

Darrick E. Antell, MD

  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... more

A: Radiesse is a good option in these cases

Shahram Salemy, MD

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... more

A: Fat transfer

Steven H. Williams, MD

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... more

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

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD

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... more

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