What is BeautiFill?

BeautiFill is an FDA-approved procedure that uses a thin laser wand to loosen and harvest excess fat cells from areas like the hips, thighs, flanks, and abdomen. The first device of its kind, it uses the laser to break up the fat (without liquefying it), gently suctions it out, and rapidly processes it.

This streamlined system allows plastic surgeons to more quickly extract, prepare, and transfer fat to other areas of the body or face. At the same time, the laser energy tightens lax skin, reducing the risk of sagging once the fat’s removed.

In a process called autologous fat transfer, this refined fat can then be grafted by your surgeon into other areas to restore volume to cheeks, hollow eyes, and thin lips while softening nasolabial folds. It can also fill pitted scars or create more fullness in the breasts or buttocks.

According to a clinical study funded by the manufacturer, the most significant advantage of harvesting fat with BeautiFill is its average fat viability rate of more than 95%.

With traditional fat harvesting methods (like tumescent liposuction), 30–50% of fat cells used in breast fat transfer typically die within three months, and facial fat grafting patients may lose 40–60% of transferred cells. These poor viability rates have made fat transfer results unpredictable and have carried risks of contour irregularities and asymmetry.

If BeautiFill results continue to live up to the promise of that clinical trial, it could take a lot of the uncertainty out of all kinds of fat transfer procedures.

What are the pros and cons of BeautiFill?

Pros

It’s FDA-approved and considered safe.
You should see results after one procedure, and the volumizing results last for years (possibly decades) longer than those from injectable fillers.
The procedure is quick, which decreases the risk of trauma to the skin. The manufacturer says post-procedure pain is minimal.
The device allows your surgeon to perform precision fat removal and simultaneous skin tightening.
The extracted fat has an exceptionally high viability rate (according to the manufacturer’s clinical study).
The low-level laser energy reduces your risk of bleeding, swelling, and bruising, especially compared to traditional fat extraction with liposuction.

Cons

While BeautiFill can smooth nasolabial folds, it doesn’t diminish fine lines and most other wrinkles: it can only add volume.
You’ll need local anesthesia, which always comes with a slim chance of allergic reactions or complications.
The procedure is relatively new, so it’s not yet widely available.
There aren’t yet studies to support its safety for fetuses or breast milk ingestion, so you should avoid BeautiFill while you’re pregnant or nursing.

Who makes a good candidate for BeautiFill?

BeautiFill is indicated for nonsmokers in good physical health without conditions that affect circulation or healing. Keep in mind that it’s not a weight-loss treatment.

What happens during a BeautiFill procedure?

First, you’ll have a consultation with your provider (typically a physician or plastic surgeon) to discuss your aesthetic goals, including where you’d like to add volume. They’ll assess the best areas for fat harvesting.

On the day of your procedure, your doctor will start by marking on your body where they’ll remove fat (the “donor site,” typically the abdomen, hips, butt, or thighs). These areas will be numbed with a local anesthetic.

Your surgeon will make a small incision in the skin and insert the BeautiFull wand. They’ll move it back and forth to capture fat cells, which will be sucked out and immediately processed inside a canister on the main device.

They’ll then use this processed fat to fill a syringe and gradually inject the fat into the area where you want more volume.

What is recovery like for BeautiFill?

Downtime should be minimal, but this depends on the size of the treated areas. The company advises that you can expect 24 to 48 hours of downtime after volumizing small areas (such as the cheeks), while larger areas, like the breasts, may have more swelling and tenderness.

Having fat injected into your buttocks, commonly called a Brazilian butt lift (or BBL), is a much more involved procedure that can involve several weeks of downtime. BBL also comes with serious safety risks, so it’s essential that you find a board-certified plastic surgeon who has years of experience performing the procedure and is fully aware of the most recent safety recommendations.

What are the alternatives to BeautiFill?

For replenishing lost volume in the face, injectable fillers are still the most popular option. They’re also less expensive, but the results won’t be nearly as long-lasting.

Juvéderm offers several formulas to volumize and plump various areas of the face. It’s a hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler that naturally dissolves within a year or two, and it can be dissolved early if you have a complication or don’t like your results—something you can’t do with your own fat.

Restylane is also an HA filler that adds volume to the face and hands. Like Juvéderm, it offers several formulas with different levels of “liftability” that work better in certain situations and metabolize slightly differently. It’s also dissolvable.

Bellafill is an FDA-approved bovine collagen dermal filler that’s injected into the face to improve volume loss. It lasts for about five years, and it can’t be dissolved early.

Sculptra Aesthetic also contains HA, but it lasts two to three years. It’s specifically indicated for facial volume that’s been lost due to aging or drastic weight loss—but not around the eyes or lips. Some providers use it off label (in a non-FDA-approved way) in the buttocks.

Sources & studies

Dermatology Times Staff, Alma Lasers announces availability of BeautiFill (2019)
Alma Lasers to Debut BeautiFill Fat Transfer System (2019)
Remove Volume to Restore Volume With BeautiFill, The First Laser-Based Procedure For Autologous Fat Transfer (2019)
Beautifill – the First Laser-Based Procedure for Autologous Fat Transfer, Now Available in Leawood, KS at Premier Vein & Body by Schwartz (2020)
Hsu J.T.S., New in My Practice: BeautiFill from Alma Lasers (2019)

Internist near Toledo, OH

Synergy Primary Care and Wellness

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.