Facial fat transfer - what are my options? (Photo)

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on the picture you provided, fat grafting to the cheeks, mid-face and under eye hollows could benefit you in regard to adding some fullness to the face if that is your goal. Injectables, such as dermal fillers, could provide you with a good idea of what you'd look like prior to the more permeant fat grafting, which would be a good start on your aesthetic journey. As always, it would be best to seek out an in-office consult with a plastic surgeon to best evaluate what procedures and techniques would best work for you and your desired aesthetic goals. Hope this helps!

Thank you for the photos. I think your skin laxity is just fine, as one would expect at 22 years of age. However, I do think fat transfer to the face can improve your appearance and make you look less tired. Fat will last forever. Do be sure to see someone with a lot of experience because fat transfer is more of an art than science.

Dear Meg,
This post is related to a question you asked a few days ago on RealSelf when you were given answers that included craniofacial surgery, cheek implants and temporary fillers. You are looking for something less invasive and more long-lasting, which as you pointed out, fillers are not. That leaves you with fat transfer. That is an excellent option, as is Renuva, which I previously mentioned. Fat transfer can be enhanced with Lipocube preparation, adding adipose-derived stem cells, to enhance take and retention, and other manipulations to try to get best results, better than simple decanting. But there is always some percentage of fat loss, both initially and over time, less in young patients, more in older (over 50) patients. Cost can be an issue, but you would likely incur about the same cost with either Renuva or fat transfer.

Facial fat transfer is a long lasting g and very natural appearing solution to augmenting facial volume. I have been doing fat transfer to the face for over 30 years in thousands of patients and continue to perform the procedure several times per week, most commonly with other procedures such as facelift or midface lift not often by itself. It is important to recognize that approximately 30-40 percent of the fat transfer survives and gives a long term benefit, and final results take 2 months. There is noticeable swelling for a week. However I it can be overdone and unlike filler there is no easy solution for removing extra fat. Experience matters: if well done fat transfer gives a very natural and long term result, and Woukd be a good option for you to consider given your pictures. In my hands it is an office procedure done under local anesthesia with light oral sedation.

Facial fat transfer is an excellent way to rejuvenate your face in a relatively non-invasive fashion. There is a limitless supply, so that full correction is always achievable in addition fat is natural and said last longer than commercially available fillers, it’s a great option for younger patients, looking to maintain their appearance

Based on the one posted full frontal photo, facial fat grafting would improve overall facial balances. Expect fees in the $10,000 ranges. Best to virtual consult with.....

Facial fat transfer is bites very nature, inherently, unpredictable, imprecise, and unforgiving if patients don’t like the outcome.
It certainly possible to have high-quality outcomes, but there are also many patients who feel the procedure, failed to deliver value or quality results, and also substantial number of patients who regret having had the procedure now find themselves, wondering how can the fat be removed because it made them look worse. For these reasons, I generally recommend patients stay with facial fillers.
Unlike fat, grafting, fillers are very predictable, precise and very forgiving if you don’t like the outcome. My recommendation if someone is going to move towards having fat transfer is to find the provider who is going to do the fat transfer start by doing the work with fillers. If you’re thrilled with the outcome of their technique, using fillers, then consider Converting to fat grafting, recognizing that quality fat grafting outcomes often is best done in stages, grafting conservative amounts a few times.
Excessive grafting become a difficult problem to manage if patients are unhappy with the outcome.
In the end, the amount of subcutaneous fat is probably not the underlying aesthetic problem, which is more based on bone structure, rather than soft tissue issues in someone age 22.
Recognize that soft tissues solutions to facial, skeletal problems are inherently only going to give partial improvements at best.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD