Facial fat transfer: what happens and how long does it last?

Fat transfer to the face is becoming an increasingly popular procedure in the UK. Fat removed by liposuction is injected into the face, cheeks and lips to create more volume and to leave it looking more youthful. But what does the procedure involve exactly and how long do the effects last? One of our leading London plastic surgeons Ms Monica Fawzy answers these questions and more.
 

Who can benefit from a facial fat transfer?

Facial fat transfer (otherwise termed lipofilling) can be used to achieve two goals; it is most commonly used to either increase facial volume by harvesting the fat and processing it into ‘micro fat’ (think of it as a filler derived from your own tissue), or for its regenerative effect on the skin tissue quality (by further processing it into ‘nano fat’ which is stem cell-enriched). Those who can benefit from facial fat transfer would fall into three main groups:

Someone who wishes to add volume to their face, either due to ageing-related volume loss in areas such as the upper and lower eyelids causing a sunken eye appearance, loss of volume in the cheeks causing nasolabial folds and jowls, hollow temples, and less defined chins, which may contribute to less defined necklines.

Another group who may be interested in volume augmentation may be those who are born with underdeveloped areas of their face such their cheeks or chins.

The last group would be those interested in improving their tissue quality, which may be ageing or lifestyle-related (such as very fine lines/‘crepey’ skin commonly seen in the lower eyelids, around the mouth, and neck areas - especially in those who have smoked or enjoyed the sun. This is also the case in the ‘decollete’ cleavage area.

Tissue quality improvement using fat is also used to treat tight and tethered scars.
 

What does a facial fat transfer involve?

Fat is removed by liposuction using specialised instruments that will minimise trauma to the fat cells. It is then specially processed to produce ‘micro fat’ for either volume augmentation or ‘nano fat’ for improvement of skin quality as mentioned above.
 

How long do results last?

Once the fat ‘takes’ (picks up a blood supply) then it will be permanent. However, roughly up to 50-60% of the initial volume inserted may be lost. This is usually less in the face, especially in areas that do not move, for example around the eyes. But I do warn all my fat-transfer patients of this, including those who are consulting for facial fat transfer. So you should be prepared for the possibility of a touch-up procedure if required.

The last thing to mention is if this was performed for ageing-related change, then this will not stop the ageing process itself (with its ongoing inherent fat and volume loss over the coming years), but it does ‘push the clock back’ and creates a more youthful and less ‘tired’ appearance.
 

What type of anaesthetic is needed?

Fat transfer may be performed under local anaesthetic, especially if relatively small volumes are transferred. Many patients do opt for sedation in addition (otherwise termed ‘twilight’ surgery) for example if they don’t like the idea of ‘needles’, or if the transfer is to multiple areas and they would like to improve their comfort and anxiety levels during the procedure.
 

Can a facial fat transfer be reversed?

It could theoretically be reversed by liposuction or direct excision of the fat from the face. But the need for this is uncommon in expert hands. Most surgeons would rather underfill slightly than overfill, as there is always the option for a touch-up procedure.



If you are considering having a facial fat transfer procedure, you can book an appointment with Ms Fawzy via her Top Doctor’s profile here and she will give you her expert opinion in your case.