How Does Pregnancy Affect Fat Grafting?

Question

I am considering Fat grafting to my cheeks, jawline and above upper lip. I am 31 years old and have suffered from major facial atrophy. How does pregnancy effect the Fat grafting?

Sean Younai, MD, FACS · Answer

I have had many patients who have had fat grafting to the buttocks for buttock augmentation. In those of these patients who had pregnancy and have had kids we have not seen any change in the size of the buttocks. it seems that pregnancy and weight gain and loss after wards has not affected the results of buttock augmentation in my patients.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

In my limited experience, pregnancy can cause selective hypertrophy (overgrowth) of the transplanted fat. However, this is not a consistent finding and does not always occur. This makes it difficult to predict when it will or will not occur.

Mario Diana, MD · Answer

Many women experience a significant change in fat metabolism during pregnancy, leading to significant and somewhat unpredictable weight gain.  Since the fat graft usually comes from areas that are resistant to weight loss, the fat will behave the same way as it would have when it was in the original location ("donor site dominance").
	This leads to significant size change in the volume of fat cells during pregnancy, as the pregnancy hormones increase the ability to store calories in the form of fat.

	After delivery, the fat volume will change according to any further weight gain or loss, by either growing or shrinking in response to body volume adjustments.

	Fat grafts are composed by live tissue moved from one area of the body to the other, and they increase the ability of the recipient area to store volume/calories.  It is a good idea to consider fat grafts a dynamic live entity that will continue to change with body weight fluctuations over time.

How Does Pregnancy Affect Fat Grafting?

Answers (3)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Facial Fat Transfer

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

How Does Pregnancy Affect Fat Grafting?

Answers (3)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Facial Fat Transfer

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