Fat can be obtained from any site in the body where there are additional fat deposits. Most commonly, the abdomen, flanks or inner thigh are used as donor sites.

Your own fat lasts significantly longer than facial filler. However, no surgical procedure stops the aging process. The transferred fat cells will continue to age along with the rest of your body and may lose volume over time. Furthermore, your native facial fat tends to gradually decrease in volume with advancing age; as a result, patients may benefit from additional facial fat grafting procedures over time.

Compared to fat grafting, fillers like Juvederm® and Restylane® do not require additional equipment, a donor site (i.e., fat harvest site), are less labor intensive, and afford a quicker recovery. Fillers can have certain advantages, depending on your goals, and can be more effective at creating projection – for example, fillers are better suited for creating definition in the lips & cheeks. Fat grafting, however, lasts longer and tends to produce a softer appearance.

Pain tends to be minimal – the most prominent area of soreness is of the area of liposuction (fat graft donor site). Bruising and swelling are expected and mostly resolve within 2 weeks after surgery.

All surgical procedures carry a degree of uncertainty and risk. Thankfully, the risk of any major complication is rare.

Facial fat transfer is performed using tiny incisions – thankfully, these small incisions tend to heal extremely well and are not noticeable in the vast majority of patients.

We all have natural asymmetries between each side of our face – some people more than others. While one of the goals of surgery is to minimize pre existing facial asymmetries, it is important to know that some asymmetry will still exist.

The volume of transferred fat that survives is variable. At best, approximately 50 - 80% of the transferred fat remains long term. However, it is critical to not transfer too much fat as overfilling is difficult to correct. Occasionally, some patients will desire more facial fat grafting, which can be easily performed.