Fat transfer in an athletic fit male. Am I a good candidate?

Question

Hello Drs, I'm seriously considering fat transfer to my cheeks to replace volume loss in mid face and buccal area space (fat pad) as well as temples. I'm at my ideal weight, non-smoker, extremely healthy, exercise 5x a week. I met a doctor and I have enough fat to do the transfer, however: 1) Will my fast metabolism and athletic slim frame mean my "fat take" will be less than average? and 2) Should I plan to have more transferred to compensate for this? Thank you.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

This is the bread and butter of my practice.  If you have fat that can be removed we can transfer it. You would need a formal assessment.  Most often I am contouring and defining using my harvesting and liposuction techniques then transferring the fat I get to the face, chest, shoulders and calves for muscular contouring and size.  But it is best you find someone with experience and who does this type of surgery on athletic people.  Best, Dr. Emer.

John Michael Thomassen, MD · Answer

Fat transfer would be an excellent option for you.  Yes, some of the fat does dissipate with time in the order of 40-50%.  Overfilling is not a good option in the face; however, some surgeons consider a second fat transfer procedure to address this.

Afshin Farzadmehr, MD · Answer

You would not lose the fat that has been transferred if it is done with proper technique.  Hope that helps.  Thanks for the question.

Kate Ross, MD · Answer

Unfortunately I don't recommend fat transfer for you. Fat is extremely subjective and depends on the survival of the fat cell once transferred. I believe that if you did have the fat transfer done, your metabolism would not allow the fat to take any more than 40-50%. Also, if you lost any more weight it's possible for it to be lost from your face. Over compensating for what you may lose of fat, is not what I recommend either. A filler with a greater longevity is probably you're best bet.Thank you for your question!Kate Ross, MD

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Fat is an excellent source of material to add volume. It does require a surgical procedure. If you are not 100% sure you want a potentially permanent filler, then I would suggest HA's like Voluma, Perlane, and the like.

Fat transfer in an athletic fit male. Am I a good candidate?

Answers (7)

Answer: Fat transfer to face

Answer: Fat transfer to face

Answer: Fat transfer to face

Answer: Fat transfer to face

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Everything you need to know about Facial Fat Transfer

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Fat transfer in an athletic fit male. Am I a good candidate?

Answers (7)

Answer: Fat transfer to face

Answer: Fat transfer to face

Answer: Fat transfer to face

Answer: Fat transfer to face

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Facial Fat Transfer

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.