About Facial Fat Grafting
Unlike dermal fillers that rely on synthetic materials, fat grafting uses living tissue from your own body. The process involves extracting excess fat, purifying it, and injecting it into areas where volume is needed. Common treatment areas include the cheeks, temples, jawline, under-eye hollows, and even deep folds around the mouth.
For a global perspective, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) reported that approximately 741,061 facial fat grafting procedures were performed worldwide in 2023, reflecting a 14.2% increase from the previous year. This technique is especially valued for its dual benefits: slimming donor sites while enhancing treated areas with smooth, soft fullness that integrates naturally into the body.
Liposuction
The first step of fat transfer is liposuction. Surgeons use a small cannula to remove fat from common donor areas like the abdomen or thighs. A tumescent solution—made of lidocaine, saline, and epinephrine—is used to numb the tissue, reduce bleeding, and ease fat removal. After extraction, the fat is purified in a centrifuge to separate healthy fat cells from fluids and oils.
This technique not only prepares the fat for re-injection but also contours the donor site, often enhancing the body’s overall proportions.
Facial Fat Transfer vs. Facelift
While facelifts tighten and lift sagging skin, they do not restore lost volume. Fat grafting fills in sunken areas for a smoother, fuller look. It's ideal for patients who want to soften wrinkles, reduce jowls, or achieve youthful contours without extensive surgery or scarring.
Though it can’t remove excess skin, facial fat grafting delivers subtle, natural rejuvenation with minimal downtime—often enhancing the results of a facelift when performed together.
Benefits of Fat Grafting
Patients choose fat transfer for several reasons:
- Balanced proportions: Sculpt the body and restore volume where needed. This allows patients to achieve a more harmonious silhouette by redistributing fat from areas with excess to those needing enhancement.
- Minimal downtime: Small incisions and gentle techniques speed up recovery. Most patients return to daily routines within a few days, especially for facial fat grafting.
- Small scars: Most incisions are under 1.5 cm and easily hidden. Surgeons typically place them in natural creases or low-visibility areas for subtle healing.
- Long-lasting volume: Surviving fat becomes a permanent part of your tissue. Once established, the transferred fat continues to age naturally with the body.
- Natural enhancement: Avoids synthetic materials and the risk of allergic reaction. The body recognizes its own fat, leading to better integration and fewer complications.
Candidates for Fat Transfer
You may be a good candidate for fat grafting if you:
- Have visible volume loss in the face
- Are in good general health and a non-smoker
- Want subtle, natural-looking results
- Have sufficient fat to harvest from another area
Facial fat grafting is also ideal for patients healing from reconstructive surgery or seeking to correct facial asymmetry, deep scarring, or age-related volume loss. This approach restores balance and smoothness to facial features using the body's own fat, offering a long-term, biocompatible solution.
Personal Consultation
During your consultation, your provider will examine your skin, discuss your goals, and review any medical history or lifestyle factors that may affect your results. It’s important to have realistic expectations and a clear understanding of what fat grafting can and cannot do.
We’ll also discuss whether you want to treat more than one area in a single session, and whether combining fat transfer with other procedures like a facelift or skin resurfacing makes sense for your goals.
Preparation
To prepare for fat grafting, patients are usually advised to:
- Stop taking blood thinners
- Avoid alcohol 24 hours before and after the procedure
- Avoid sun exposure before and during recovery
- Plan meals and pick up prescriptions ahead of time
- Arrange for a ride home post-surgery
- Set up a recovery area at home
Following these instructions helps minimize complications and support a smooth recovery.
Procedure Overview
On the day of your procedure, you’ll receive local or general anesthesia depending on the extent of the treatment. The surgeon will begin by harvesting fat through liposuction. Once the fat is purified, it's injected into the targeted areas in small amounts to ensure even distribution and natural contouring.
Most fat transfer procedures take between 30 minutes and two hours. In some cases, multiple fat transfers are done in one appointment, depending on your aesthetic goals.
Recovery Timeline
Recovery varies by individual and treatment area, but most patients experience mild swelling, bruising, or discomfort in both the donor and injection sites. You may need to keep your head elevated for the first few days if your face was treated.
Over-the-counter or prescribed medications can manage discomfort. Swelling typically resolves within two weeks, but the final results settle in after 2–3 months. Numbness at the injection site may last up to six months.
To maintain results and support healing, avoid sun exposure for 2–3 weeks and follow all post-procedure instructions closely.
ALT Text: face being injected
Results and Longevity
Once the transferred fat develops a blood supply, it becomes a permanent part of your body. However, not all of the fat survives—about 60–80% typically remains. This is why surgeons sometimes overfill the target areas slightly.
You can enjoy lasting improvements to facial volume, smoother skin texture, and youthful contours. Results can last years with healthy weight maintenance, as significant weight changes may alter the outcome.
Related Procedures
Facelift: Tightens sagging skin and smooths deep lines. Often combined with fat grafting for comprehensive rejuvenation.
Facial Feminization: A group of procedures to soften facial features. Fat grafting helps enhance cheeks, lips, or the jawline.
Rhinoplasty: Reshapes the nose to improve facial balance. Some patients use fat grafting alongside nose surgery for better symmetry.
The Cost of Fat Transfer in Beverly Hills
Costs depend on the size of the area treated, how much fat is required, and whether multiple areas are involved. A personal consultation will provide an exact quote and, if needed, financing options to make treatment more accessible.
For example, a patient may choose to combine a fat transfer to the face with body contouring for a more holistic outcome.
Facial Fat Grafting FAQs
The ideal facial rejuvenation treatment varies based on the individual and his or her desired results. Fortunately, Dr. Azizzadeh meets with a patient and performs a comprehensive assessment. This evaluation enables Dr. Azizzadeh to provide personalized treatment recommendations and help a patient decide between a facial fat transfer or dermal fillers.
The cost of facial fat grafting varies based on the surgeon performing the procedure and other factors. Dr. Azizzadeh discusses the cost of facial fat grafting with his patient before he performs the procedure.
Dr. Azizzadeh tailors each facial fat grafting procedure to his patient. Therefore, each facial fat grafting patient receives injections into different areas of the face. Dr. Azizzadeh determines how much fat should be injected and which areas of a facial fat grafting patient’s face should receive injections before treatment. He also dedicates significant time and resources to develop a facial fat grafting treatment plan that can deliver the best-possible results.
Dr. Azizzadeh develops a custom facial fat grafting treatment plan for each of his patients, regardless of gender. As a result, Dr. Azizzadeh helps each facial fat grafting patient revitalize his or her facial appearance.
Each facial fat grafting patient has a different pain tolerance, but most patients receive local anesthetic prior to treatment.
Facial fat grafting requires the use of an individual’s own fat. Thus, Dr. Azizzadeh harvests fat directly from his patient and uses this fat during a facial fat grafting procedure.
For the most part, the results of fat transfer to the face are permanent. However, it is important to understand that after a facial fat transfer procedure, some of the injected fat will not “take” and is metabolized by the body. This means an individual may need to repeat the procedure at a later date.
Over-treating or injecting an excess amount of fat into the face during a facial fat grafting procedure may be problematic. In this instance, a mass of fat may be created on the face that is too big for the blood supply. As a result, the fat that has been transferred to the face cannot survive due to an inadequate blood supply.
Dr. Azizzadeh’s goal is to help a facial fat transfer patient achieve a natural-looking and balanced facial appearance. To accomplish this goal, he ensures only the amount of fat needed to help a patient achieve the best-possible results is used during a facial fat grafting procedure.
The pain associated with facial fat grafting is usually minimal. In many instances, patients can manage any pain they experience following a facial fat transfer procedure with oral pain medication.
There is no minimum weight requirement associated with facial fat grafting. A patient only needs to have enough fat to harvest and graft to undergo this procedure.
A typical facial fat grafting procedure requires one to five hours to complete, and depends on if it is being done in conjunction with any other procedures. The length of the procedure varies based on the areas of a patient’s body in which fat is being harvested and grafted.
Soreness and swelling sometimes occurs after a facial fat grafting procedure. Or, in certain instances, a patient’s face reabsorbs most or all of a fat injection. In rare cases, patients experience a ruptured blood vessel or blood clotting at the treatment site, infection or the development of a fat embolism or scar tissue.
Dr. Azizzadeh educates facial fat grafting patients about the potential side effects of treatment. He also monitors a facial fat grafting patient’s progress after treatment to ensure that this individual’s recovery stays on track.
The amount of time a patient needs to take off from work following facial fat grafting varies. Typically, a patient may experience facial bruising and swelling during the first week after a facial fat transfer procedure. After the first week, however, facial bruising and swelling generally subsides.
Dr. Azizzadeh’s goal is to help each patient achieve a balanced, natural-looking appearance, and he sometimes recommends multiple cosmetic procedures. He performs a full patient assessment to determine if a patient qualifies for facial fat grafting and other cosmetic procedures.
It’s best to wait, as pregnancy and weight changes can impact your results. Hormonal shifts and body changes during pregnancy can alter the appearance of transferred fat.
If you’re healthy, have enough donor fat, and want long-lasting, natural results, you're likely a good candidate. A consultation with a board-certified provider will confirm if your goals and health profile align with the procedure.
Conclusion
Fat transfer is a versatile and effective treatment that enhances your appearance using your body’s natural resources. With the right surgeon and a tailored plan, you can achieve long-lasting, natural results that leave you feeling confident and refreshed.
From facial rejuvenation to body sculpting, fat grafting delivers results that blend seamlessly into your natural features—without the need for implants or synthetic fillers.
Schedule a Fat Transfer to Face Consultation with Dr. Azizzadeh
Dr. Azizzadeh is happy to perform a fat transfer to face procedure to help an individual improve his or her facial appearance. To find out more about facial fat grafting, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Azizzadeh at the CENTER for Advanced Facial Plastic Surgery today.