Fat transfer (also referred to as fat grafting) transfers autologous fat (your own body tissue) from areas in which you have excess fat, such as the outer thighs or lower back, and injects it into areas that may be lacking in volume, such as your face, hands, breasts or buttocks. This safe, long-lasting, well-tolerated procedure produces natural-looking results. Every year, thousands of people undergo successful fat grafting and are pleased with the results.
Fat Transfer Procedure Options
Fat Transfer can be implemented in multiple areas:
Facial Fat Transfer
Facial creases, such as laugh lines, smile lines, and crow’s-feet, acne scars and sunken areas of the face, lips, and cheeks can be filled in. Grafted fat can also be used to minimize lines between your nose and mouth, correct skin depressions or indentations and minimize forehead wrinkles.
Breast Fat Transfer
Restore or add volume to your breasts with fat transfer. If you desire a modest increase in breast size, you are a good candidate for fat grafting to the breast. This involves no incisions, no new scars and no foreign objects.
Breast Enlargement with Fat Grafting
If your breast shape needs optimizing during a breast implant procedure, fat grafting can be useful. If you have residual breast irregularities after undergoing breast augmentation with implants, the irregularities can be filled in with fat to produce a smooth contour and an optimal shape.
Buttocks Fat Transfer
Many people who desire a fuller, more rounded buttock will opt for a “Brazilian butt lift,” which uses fat transfer to provide a more curvaceous buttock without the use of an implant. Liposuction is commonly used to both sculpt the surrounding area and collect the autologous fat to be injected.
Hand Fat Transfer
Fat grafting into your hands is effective for adding volume, “plumping up” wrinkled areas, covering underlying vessels and tendons and improving the quality of your skin over time.
Fat Transfer Recovery
Fat is harvested from one part of your body, washed and purified, and then carefully reinjected with specially designed needles into the areas that need augmentation. Purification may require the use of a centrifuge to spin the fat or a filtration process to remove impurities. As fat comes from the patient’s own body, allergic reactions and rejection cannot occur. Some of the transferred fat will be reabsorbed by the body (this is completely normal), so it may be necessary to repeat the fat grafting procedure several times to achieve the desired result. The better the circulation to a given recipient site, the better chance the fat will survive in that area (i.e. buttocks and hips). This is also why there is a lower percentage of fat survival when injected into the face.
Fat Transfer Faq
Am I a good candidate for a fat transfer?
Ideal candidates have realistic expectations for the procedure, are in good medical health, can commit to proper recovery time, have volume-deficient areas either on the face, hands, breasts or buttocks and would like to improve contour, and/or revise irregularities.
How long does fat transfer last?
The injected fat establishes a new blood supply from your body and receives the nourishment it needs for survival. When this happens, results can and often are permanent; however, there may be a percentage of fat that does not take, which is why touchup procedures are sometimes necessary. Fat survival rate also depends on area of injection.
What are the risks of fat transfer?
As with any cosmetic surgery procedure there are risks and complications associated with fat transfers. Possible concerns include: • Swelling • Irregular contours or uneven results from liposuction • Hematoma • Seroma • Skin necrosis • Fat necrosis • Less than expected results
How much does a fat transfer cost?
Pricing varies based on body and skin types along with combined procedures performed. Please call or schedule a consultation for more information.
