Is it possible to not have enough fat for fat injections for my face?

Question

I do not have pockets of fat anywhere on my body. I am lean. Is it possible I do not have enough fat for fat injections for my face?

Timothy R. Miller, MD · Answer

Yes, it is very possible to not have enough fat for fat injections for the face.Many patients who require volume augmentation in the face are very thin or perhaps an athlete with little body fat.  In these instances, fillers such as Sculptra, Voluma, and other syringe based filler are excellent alternatives to fat transfer (augmentation).  However, if you are lean but have enough fat to transfer the fat typically survives very well in the recipient areas if good techniques are utilized.The attached link provides more information.I hope this helps.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

If you do not have any squeezeable fat it is unlikely you have any to harvest for facial injections and fillers like bellafill, sculptra, or radiesse would be useful for you if you want longer term filler options.  see an expert for an evaluation.  best, Dr. Emer.

Jaime S. Schwartz, MD, FACS · Answer

You typically don't need a large volume of fat for facial grafting.The best way to assess and give true advice would an in-person exam.Please see a board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in aesthetic and restorative surgery.best of luck!Dr Schwartz

Scott C. Sattler, MD, FACS · Answer

For full face fat transfer procedures, I usually graft between 30-50 cc of fat - I have never encountered a patient that did not have adequate fat donor sites for facial fat grafting procedures.

Khashayar Mohebali, MD, FACS · Answer

In general not a lot of fat is needed for grafting to the face.  Most patients have some along with outer thighs. However there is a small chance that you don't have enough depending of how skinny you are.  Without an exam or at least pictures its really hard to comment on your specific case.

Lenore Sikorski, MD · Answer

I can generally find enough fat on even a lean patient as facial fat grafting doesn't require a large amount of fat.  If in the small chance I couldn't find enough fat to harvest, I would recommend using a dermal filler in it's place.

Stephen J. Ronan, MD, FACS · Answer

Not much fat is needed for fat grafting.  Even if someone is extremely lean we can usually find a shot-glass size amount of fat (which is all we need).

Douglas J. Mackenzie, MD · Answer

Unlike other applicatioons of fat grafting like buttock augmentation, facial fat grafting doesn't require much fat.  Usually even a lean person will have some harvestable fat, such as from the upper posterior thigh.  If not, then I would suggest Sculptra.

Steven R. Mobley, MD · Answer

That is a great question. Keep in
mind that scientific studies for cosmetic procedures are fewer and far between
than say scientific studies about national health problems such as high blood
pressure or diabetes. With that being said, we often must rely on expert
opinion and surgeon experience.

I have been doing fat transfer for about a decade now and
find that in general I have had a few patients that were so gaunt in their
faces and so lean in their bodies that we could just not get enough fat out of
them. Overall, this is rare, but it has occurred in a few patients of mine. In
those cases I will graft as much fat as can be harvested and then in the early
post op period start Sculptra injections. I like Sculptra as it stimulates your
body to make its own collagen and is the filler closest to the affects of fat
in my opinion. So, bottom line…its rare not to be able to get enough fat out…when
that does occur; there is a backup option of Sculptra injections.

Michael Law, MD · Answer

I have successfully provided facial fat grafting on models and athletes. Facial fat grafting does not require a great deal of excess fat.  It is impossible to know without an examination and photos, but it should be possible.

Is it possible to not have enough fat for fat injections for my face?

Answers (11)

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