Your face is one of the only areas of your body where you want to keep the fat you have. However, this fat decreases with age, leaving areas of your face looking hollow, drooping, or tired. Facial fat grafting uses your own fat to restore what you have lost, helping you look more youthful and refreshed. This procedure offers many of the benefits of dermal fillers without the inconvenience.
What is Facial Fat Grafting?
Fat grafting or fat transfer takes fat from an area of your body and injects it into areas of your face where you want to restore volume. It is most often used to add fullness and definition to the cheeks, fill out hollows or tear troughs under the eyes, and smooth lines and wrinkles such as nasolabial folds. It addresses many of the same concerns as dermal filler injections but lasts much longer.
How Long Does Facial Fat Grafting Last?
Dermal fillers come in several formulas, with the most common ones lasting one to two years at most. Because facial fat grafting uses fat from another part of your body, it produces long-lasting results. The transferred fat cells are alive and healthy, and they will undergo a process called grafting that allows them to become established in their new location.
Since fat cells are with you for life, your facial fat transfer results will last a lifetime. However, fat cells change in volume if you gain or lose weight so dramatic changes may affect the appearance of your facial features.
How is Facial Fat Transfer Performed?
Dr. Lanfranchi begins your procedure by harvesting fat from a donor area using liposuction by hand. The living fat cells are purified and prepared before being placed into areas of your face. Dr. Lanfranchi uses a tiny device called a cannula to guide the fat to its new location with precision and artistry. The fat cells behave the same way regardless of their location so that they will add natural-looking volume to your features.
What is Recovery Like After Facial Fat Grafting?
You can expect some swelling, soreness, and bruising in the donor area where liposuction was performed. You will also notice some facial swelling. Most people resume light activities and return to work within a few days. You will usually be cleared to resume more strenuous activities after seven to ten days. Some residual swelling can take a few more weeks to fade.
Am I a Candidate for Facial Fat Transfer?
One important requirement for facial fat grafting is to have enough fat in a donor area to be used. While this is not a problem for most people, it may be a concern for very slender individuals. Good candidates for this procedure have reasonable expectations and want to achieve long-lasting results. Certain medical conditions may affect whether facial fat transfer is right for you.
Take The First Step – Request A Consultation
Ready to learn more about facial fat grafting? The first step is to come in for an in-person consultation with Dr. Lanfranchi. Please fill out the form on this page to request a consultation or call our office directly at (702 )929-3880 during normal business hours (please leave a message if we are unable to answer). The Lanfranchi Center serves the Las Vegas and Henderson, NV areas.