Guide:
- What Is Facial Fat Transfer?
- Factors That Affect Longevity
- How Much Fat Typically Survives?
- How to Extend Results
- Why You Should Speak with a Board-Certified Specialist
Are you looking to restore a youthful volume to your face? Facial fat transfer (also known as autologous fat grafting) is a surgical procedure using your own fat to replenish lost volume and achieve a more rejuvenated facial contour. Not all of the fat transferred will survive, and various factors can affect the outcome. Results can be long-lasting and even lifelong if the transferred fat becomes well-established.
This guide covers what affects longevity, how much fat tends to remain behind, and how you can keep your results.
What Is Facial Fat Transfer?
Facial fat transfer is a cosmetic technique that involves:
- Harvesting fat from your body (typically the abdomen or thighs) via liposuction
- Purifying and processing the fat for reinjection
- Carefully and with precision, injecting the processed fat into areas like the cheeks, temples, under-eye hollows, jawline, or nasolabial folds
Using your body’s own tissue, this procedure offers natural-looking results and is often performed alongside facelifts or eyelid surgery. Learn more about facial fat transfer.
Factors That Affect Longevity
Fat survival and long-term results are influenced by:
- Surgical technique: Layered, micro-droplet placement improves survival (PMC Study).
- Fat processing: Proper handling increases viability.
- Area treated: Facial zones with more movement may lose fat faster.
- Health status: Smoking, significant weight changes, and medical conditions can affect integration.
Board-certified plastic surgeons using advanced methods typically achieve higher retention rates, with a surgeon’s experience being key.
How Much Fat Typically Survives?
Depending on the technique used and individual response to the procedure, studies show that 50–70% of the transferred fat survives long-term, though the range can vary from 30–80%.
Timeline:
- 0–2 weeks: Initial swelling, temporary fullness
- 3–6 months: Fat settles and integrates
- 6+ months: Stable fat is generally permanent
How to Extend Results
To support better outcomes:
- Avoid pressure on treated areas during healing
- Follow all aftercare instructions meticulously
- Maintain a stable weight
- Avoid smoking, which can hinder healing
- Stay hydrated and eat well
When to Consider a Touch-Up
Touch-ups are common and typically done 6–12 months after your initial procedure. They help:
- Compensate for natural resorption
- Enhance or fine-tune volume
Secondary grafts are usually simpler and more targeted.
FAQ: Common Questions About Facial Fat Grafting
Is facial fat transfer permanent?
Yes—if transferred successfully during the first 3–6 months, the fat takes on a living quality and can endure for years. Having said that, factors such as weight gain and loss, and aging will undoubtedly alter the initial result.
Will I need multiple treatments?
Possibly. Some patients obtain what they desire with one session; others prefer the convenience of a second treatment for additional volume or detail.
With the advantage of using your own tissue, facial fat grafting offers natural-looking, long-lasting facial rejuvenation.. Not all of the fat survives, but what remains, after the healing phase, is typically permanent.
Explore our facial fat transfer procedure page or speak with Dr. Taghva, a board-certified specialist to learn more.
