Age 34, skinny - would facial fat transfer be a good option for hollow cheeks & nasolabial folds? (Photos)

Fat transfers are a long lasting, natural, and safe option for plumping lips, filling in facial lines and improving overall facial contour. Fat transfers can soften the lines around your mouth using your own fat from a different area of your body (typically your hips, buttocks, or abdomen). Since it is your own fat, you can't be allergic to it and last longer than other fillers- about 50% of the fat stays permanently where it was injected. I suggest scheduling a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon so you can discuss your options and goals of surgery.

Fillers are ideal for nasolabial folds.Grafting fat is not the same as using filters. Fat transfer is not a good procedure for giving very precise volume in very small certain anatomic areas. It’s much better for giving diffuse overall volume in large areas but not for precise work with the volume hast to be in a very specific place.
Compared to fillers fat is imprecise, unpredictable and unforgiving.It’s a bulking procedure and does not allow significant amounts of volume to be placed in a small area especially right in the dermal fat junction.
Once grafted if patients are not happy with the outcome it’s extremely difficult to reverse back to pre-procedure appearance.
Fillers are the gold standard for nasal labial folds and Fed transfer is very difficult to deliver results as good as what fillers can.
Facial fat transfer has its uses but not in areas that are very specific and small.
I have yet to see impressive results in there so leave your folds though I’m sure somebody has one. There are enough people posting on this website asking how previously grafted facial fat can be removed for me to know it is a procedure that can potentially leave people regretting opting for fat instead of fillers.
I highly recommend patients stay with fillers and avoid facial fat transfer for facial work.
This is especially true around the lower eyelids and in the nasiolabial folds.
Like I mentioned earlier grafting fat diffusely throughout the face can give quality results if you’re in the hands of a provider who has sufficient skills and experience.
Anyone who moves forward with the transfer should be highly selective of choosing as efficiently experienced and talented provider.
Doing so most likely requires having multiple in person consultations at which time you should ask each provider to open up your portfolio and show you their entire collection of before and after pictures.
For fat transfer it is imperative to know how long after the surgery after pictures are taken.
Results continue to evolve and change after grafting fat for 3 to 6 months and final after pictures should never be taken before that timeframe.
Early results can look very impressive but do not at all represent final results.
Ones grafted if someone’s not happy with the outcome you need to have each surgeon tell you exactly how they’re going to remove the fat and fat necrosis if you don’t like the results.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD