Facial Fat Graft FAQ

A facial fat graft is surgery that takes your own fat from the abdomen or thigh, purifies it, and injects it into hollow areas such as the forehead, temples, front of the cheeks, nasolabial folds, and under the eyes to restore volume. Because it uses your own tissue, foreign-body reactions are uncommon, and fat that survives can last a long time. The areas and amounts are decided by looking at the volume balance of the whole face.

The survival rate of a fat graft depends on the grafted area, how the fat is processed, and your constitution and healing, and some of the grafted fat is absorbed while the rest settles. It is generally known that about 70% survives and about 30% is absorbed, so the plan takes the absorbed amount into account. Avoiding smoking and pressure on the grafted area after surgery helps the fat survive.

Fat that survives a fat graft settles as your own tissue and tends to last a long time. By about 1–2 months, the fat that does not survive has been absorbed and the remaining volume settles; after that, it may change along with aging or weight changes. If volume is lacking, an additional graft can be considered.

After a facial fat graft, swelling and bruising are worst on days 2–3 after surgery and then gradually subside, and returning to daily activities takes 1 week. Face washing is possible from 2 days after surgery, and the thigh or abdomen where fat was harvested may have muscle-ache-like pain and widespread bruising for about 1 week. Makeup on areas without wounds is possible after 3 days.

After a facial fat graft, to help the grafted fat settle, avoid rubbing or pressing the treated area for 2 weeks and hold back on big smiles or frowning. If fat was grafted to the forehead or temples, avoid tight hats for 1 month, and if it was grafted to the front cheek, avoid heavy glasses or sunglasses. It is best to avoid alcohol, smoking, saunas, and strenuous exercise for 4 weeks.

Besides temporary swelling, bruising, and pain at the harvest site, a facial fat graft can rarely cause nodules where fat clumps and feels lumpy, calcification, asymmetry, or a lack of volume due to more absorption than expected.

A fat graft can be repeated, and it is considered when much of the fat was absorbed and volume is lacking, or when you want to better balance different areas. An additional graft is often done after 2–3 months, once the previously grafted fat has settled. Grafting in several smaller sessions rather than a large amount at once may be better for fat survival and a natural result.

A forehead fat graft is considered when a flat or sunken forehead makes the side profile look less defined, or when forehead wrinkles come with hollowing above the eyebrows. The forehead is a large area, so planning the needed amount and curve precisely is important, and tight hats should be avoided for 1 month after grafting. It can also help when the shape of the forehead bone is the cause.

A fat graft to the cheekbone area and nasolabial folds can help create a softer look by filling front cheeks that have hollowed and nasolabial folds that have deepened with age-related volume loss. Nasolabial folds are often caused by cheek sagging, so after checking whether the cause is volume loss or sagging, a fat graft or lifting is chosen as appropriate. If fat was grafted to the front cheek, it is best to avoid heavy glasses or sunglasses for a while.

A fat graft uses your own fat and tends to last a long time once it survives, while fillers are simple injections but are absorbed over time, so they last for a limited period. A fat graft is often considered for larger areas or longer-lasting volume, and fillers for quickly correcting small areas. A fat graft requires fat harvesting and has a longer recovery than fillers.

After a fat graft, the surviving fat keeps the characteristics of fat from the harvest site, so if you gain or lose a lot of weight, the volume of the grafted area may change as well. To keep results stable, it is best to avoid sudden weight changes after surgery.

Yes, if a facial fat graft is overdone or lumpy, the amount can be reduced with liposuction or fat removal. However, fat that has survived is attached to the surrounding tissue and is difficult to remove completely, and the correction method varies with the area and amount, so it is checked at the consultation.

The cost of a facial fat graft depends on the number and extent of grafted areas, how the fat is processed, and whether it is combined with other procedures. Because the areas and amounts needed vary with your face, an exact cost can be given after consultation.