How long should you have to wait to have a facelift after getting facial fat transfer?

Question

Hello, I am a younger patient with laxity and volume loss from another procedure. I have had many consultations however there has been a variety of responses - the main contrast is surgeons saying fat grafting alone would be the best choice, and others saying a deep plane facelift with fat grafting is a better choice. Considering the invasiveness of the facelift I am considering trying the fat grafting to see how I "feel" afterwards and if it's enough. If it's not, and I plan for the facelift after how long would you generally have to wait between surgeries? This is assuming only conservative facial fat transfer is done. Additionally, does this sound like a bad idea and should I do it all at once? It is true that fat transfer won't fix laxity but my main issue is definitely volume loss, however I do not want to make my face look "heavier" by mistake. Thank you for your thoughts

Yucel Sarialtin, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Since your main concern is volume loss rather than significant skin laxity, starting with conservative fat grafting is a reasonable approach to restore youthful fullness without the invasiveness of a facelift. Fat transfer won’t tighten loose skin, so if you later feel a facelift is needed, it’s generally recommended to wait about 6 months between procedures to allow proper healing and assessment of results. Done carefully, fat grafting should enhance volume without making your face look heavier. Ultimately, beginning with fat grafting lets you gauge how you feel before deciding if a more extensive deep plane facelift is necessary.

Sam Naficy, MD, FACS · Answer

Most people needing both FG and FL will do them at the same time. But if you wish to do them separately there should be a gap in between.  If you really want to wait until the full results of FG have taken place, that can take up to 10-12 months (based on imaging studies of the face after FG), but many surgeons will do in as early as 3 months.

Jeffrey H. Spiegel, MD · Answer

Depending upon how much fat was done and what you look like, I'd say 4-6 months is fine.  Pictures are critical of course.

How long should you have to wait to have a facelift after getting facial fat transfer?

Answers (3)