Can you use facial fat grafting for male facial sculpting? (Photos)

Question

Hi I'm a 22 year old guy. I've watched Youtube videos of doctors using filler for male facial sculpting and seems to have very good results for a little bit of filler. Is it possible to attain the same results but using fat grafting? I'm not looking to change the shape or size of my jawline or chin but rather make it more defined. Specifically is it possible to make the masseter area sharper / have the skin wrap around the masseter much clearly?

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and photos. A combination of dermal fillers and Botox may be your best solution for sculpting your face in the way you describe. Dermal fillers composed of hyaluronic acid can add volume to the face and provide a natural lift where necessary. Botox can treat an overactive muscle to reduce movement and produce a slenderizing effect on the lower portion of the face. 
Together, this combination of injectable treatments can improve facial balance and symmetry and create a defined contour. I recommend scheduling an in-person consultation with an experienced, board-certified injector who can review your aesthetic goals and suggest the best treatment option for you.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

It's difficult to say without the benefit of a formal evaluation. This is my expertise and a huge portion of my practice. Asymmetry is normal and expected. See an expert who does facial shaping with surgical and non surgical methods to get a comprehensive option. Best, Dr. Emer.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

The before and after pictures you found are definitely impressive. To me they’re impressive enough that I question if there is just a slight bit of manipulation going on. for example on the frontal picture if someone sucks in their cheeks just a little it has a big impact on how someone looks. Likewise on the profile picture using your muscles to push your jaw forward can also radically change the perception of your jaw line.
I’m not disputing the quality of filler work which does look good.
For facial filler work the person I feel does the best work I’ve ever seen is David Mabrie MD in San Francisco. Check out his website of what can be done using only fillers.
Fillers and fat transfer or fat grafting are not equivalence and are not the same.
Fillers are excellent for giving precise amounts of volume in very defined specific areas. grafting fat is good for giving diffuse over all volume.
In order for fat to survive there needs to be an abundance of host tissue. Anytime fat is grafted in any significant volume into a small area most of the fat will diet and become fat necrosis. One way I’m looking at this is imagining grafting fat it’s like a three dimensional chess board. If the white squares represent grafted fat then the black squares have to represent live vascular host tissue. Every white square has to be surrounded by black squares in order for the procedure to work. if two white squares are in contact then one of them will die. what can be accomplished with fillers cannot be accomplished using grafting fat.
Fat grafting is imprecise, unpredictable and unforgiving.
Fillers are the opposite. They are precise predictable and very forgiving.
Anytime anyone considers having fat grafted you need to have a plan for what to do if you don’t like the results.
Removing grafted fat in the face can be very difficult. This includes necrotic dead fat. 
It’s easy to see why people jump to the idea of having a permanent solution instead of paying for fillers and having treatment several times a year. your best option is the first find a provider who can deliver the type of work you’re looking for. Have treatments with fillers and confirm that the provider delivers their results you like multiple times then convert to long lasting fillers. The beauty of fillers is that the treatments can be modified each time the treatment is done fine-tuning the results to the patient’s wishes.
With fat grafting surgeons will always graft more fat to compensate for fat loss which always happens with fat grafting. This is not to say there isn’t quality work being done with facial fat grafting. There’s plenty of talented providers doing amazing things with facial fat grafting but there’s also lots of people regretting even considering having facial fat grafting done.
In the end would probably is the most important variable is the skill and experience of the provider.
Find the right plastic surgeon and everything falls into place.
That is easier said than done but tends to be the greatest variable differentiating those who have consistent high patient satisfaction versus those who do not.
To find the most talented and experienced provider regardless of procedure of interest requires having multiple in person consultations.
During consultations as providers to show their entire collection of before and after pictures.
With fat transfer it is imperative to confirm that after pictures were taken at least three months from the day of the procedure since early fed transfer pictures can look very impressive but early results do not represent final result by any stretch.
Simply sing a handful of selected pictures which must likely represent the best results of each providers carrier is insufficient to get a clear understanding of what average results look like.
This is why getting access to seeing the entire collection or as many before and after pictures as a provider is willing to show you is the best way to confirm consistent quality work.
Lastly I recommend reading all reviews on various physician review websites avoiding providers for any significant number of justified negative reviews.
The absence of justified negative reviews is more important and more telling than having an abundance of positive reviews.
Facial aesthetics with the exception of facial aging are primarily determined by facial skeletal structure. Soft tissue manipulation enhancing skeletal structure it’s tricky and works better in certain situations than others.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

Can you use facial fat grafting for male facial sculpting? (Photos)

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Can you use facial fat grafting for male facial sculpting? (Photos)

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