Facial fat grafting

What is facial fat grafting?

  • Facial fat grafting is a procedure that uses your own body fat to restore volume to your face. Fat is removed from areas like your tummy or thighs, then injected into parts of the face that may have lost fullness with age. It’s an alternative to synthetic fillers.

  • Unlike fillers, fat is living tissue and needs to develop a blood supply to survive after it's been moved. Some of the transferred fat may be absorbed by the body, but the rest can remain long term, depending on the area where the fat is placed and especially if you maintain a stable weight.

  • Unlike fillers, your own fat is compatible with your body. This means there’s a lower risk of long-term reactions like nodules, granulomas and infections.

  • Dr Law uses microfat and nanofat grafting techniques for facial rejuvenation, depending on your specific needs. Your options will be fully discussed with you during your consultation.

Why consider facial fat grafting?

You might be interested in this treatment if you experience:

  • Loss of facial volume due to ageing.

  • Hollow areas under the eyes (tear troughs).

  • Volume loss around the upper eyelids or brows.

  • Sunken temples.

  • Naturally thin lips you’d like to enhance.

  • Deep lines or grooves, such as nose-to-mouth lines (nasolabial folds) or lines around the mouth.

Facial fat grafting is often performed alongside other procedures, such as a facelift or eyelid surgery, for more comprehensive facial rejuvenation.

Fat grafting vs. fillers

Some facial volume treatments, like fillers, use synthetic substances that carry a small risk of reaction in some people. In contrast, fat grafting uses your own fat, so your body is less likely to reject it or react negatively.

In areas like around the eyes, fat grafting can also last longer than synthetic fillers, which usually need to be topped up regularly.

Procedure Information

  • You may be suitable for facial fat grafting if you:

    • Have enough fat available in another part of your body for fat harvest.

    • Prefer a long-term solution to restore facial volume without synthetic fillers.

    • Are in good health and do not smoke.

    • Have realistic expectations, understand the likely results and how they may change over time.

    • Are having other facial procedures and want to address multiple concerns at once.

  • Facial fat grafting is usually performed under general anaesthetic in an accredited hospital. In some cases, it can be done with sedation instead, depending on your specific needs and the extent of the procedure.

  • Facial fat grafting involves the following steps:

    • Fat Harvesting: Fat is removed from another part of your body (often the tummy or thighs) using a liposuction method.

    • Processing: The fat is cleaned and prepared using specialised techniques.

    • Injection: The fat is injected into the chosen areas of your face to enhance volume and contour.

    This can be done as a standalone treatment or alongside other facial procedures.

  • Recovery can vary between individuals. In general:

    • Swelling, discomfort, bruising are common in both the donor and treated areas and usually last about a week.

    • You can resume work after 1-2 weeks, depending on your job.

    • You can return to your regular exercise routine after 4 weeks.

  • The fat tends to stay around the eye area, but does not tend to stay or “take” as well around mobile areas such as the lips where there’s a lot of movement. In mobile areas, the fat grafting procedure often needs to be repeated.

  • An alternative is to use fillers to restore volume loss in the face.

Risks & complications

  • All surgery carries risks and may include:

    • Drug reactions.

    • Allergic reactions.

    • Infection. 

    • Bleeding and haematoma (blood clot).

  • Most complications are rare but all surgery carries risks. Risks specific to facial fat grafting will be discussed with you during your consultation and will also be provided in your consent paperwork. These include:

    • Fat embolism.

    • Fat necrosis.

    • Poor fat retention in the grafted area.

    Choosing a specialist plastic surgeon with proper anaesthetic support helps minimise these risks.

Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, Sydney

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