Benefits of Facial Fat Transfer
Fat transfer offers long-lasting, natural, and safe results. Fat transfer provides noninvasive rejuvenation, and some of the many benefits include:
- Long-lasting correction, instead of temporary dermal filler
- Reduce the risk of allergic reactions (your fat is used)
- Replace volume lost during the natural aging process in temples, cheeks, etc.
- Rejuvenate sunken or creased facial areas
- Conceal deep grooves between the nose and corners of the mouth
- Restore loss of volume to under-eye hollows
- Add volume to sagging eyelids, cheeks, and temples
- Reduce acne scars
- Improve facial aesthetics and skin texture
- Refresh the face
- Smooth abnormalities caused by injuries
- Safe, long-lasting, natural results
Fat naturally adds volume, dimension, and contour to the face. As the fat that supports our faces depletes with age, the face loses tension and becomes lax. The skin appears more fragile, the underlying bone structure appears weak. As facial volume is lost, wrinkles and folds become more pronounced, the lower face widens, and jowls form. Fat transfer provides additional volume in strategic locations to create a more youthful and healthy appearance.
What is Fat Transfer?
Fat transfer is a cosmetic surgery procedure also called fat injection or fat grafting. First, liposuction is performed to harvest cells from fat pockets in the inner thighs or abdomen. The fat cells are cleaned and strategically injected into another place. The injected fat can augment or improve areas where curves and volume restoration are needed.
Fat transfer is a common technique used to address a variety of abnormalities. Fat grafting has therapeutic benefits and may be used issues to fill scars and wounds, for example, tissue damaged by radiation therapy. Permanent results can be achieved with fat grafting.
Hand rejuvenation involves the removal of fat from one part of the body and transferring it to the back of the hands. Dr. Kam also performs fat grafting to improve lost facial volume in the hollows under the eyes, add volume and shape to the cheekbones, and fill hollow areas on the temples, or jawline.
Facial Fat Transfer Consultation in Voorhees, NJ
At Kam Facial Plastic Surgery, Dr. Kam meets with potential candidates during a private fat transfer consultation. During the meeting, she examines the patient and discusses problem areas to determine if facial fat grafting is the best option to achieve your cosmetic goals. She answers any questions and designs a fat grafting treatment plan for qualified patients.
During the consultation, Dr. Kam explains the possible risks and benefits, potential injection sites, expected outcomes, preparation, and recovery instructions before scheduling the procedure. Her ultimate goal is to provide patients with natural-looking, beautiful, youthful results.
Dr. Kam may recommend another procedure along with fat grafting. She specializes in a wide range of cosmetic procedures, including:
- Neck Lift
- Facelift
- Brow Lift
- Eyelid Surgery
- Scar revision
- Lip Lift
- Otoplasty
- Laser Skin Resurfacing
- Injectable Fillers
- Liquid Rhinoplasty
Preparation for Fat Transfer to the Face
Below are some general instructions to reduce the risk of complications and ensure the best results.
- Stop smoking. Smoking is proven to compromise healing and increase infection and bleeding risks.
- Maintain a stable healthy weight. The fat transfer will improve targeted areas. However, weight fluctuations can change the effects of the procedure. It is essential to maintain a steady weight before and after the procedure. If you are planning to lose a substantial amount of weight soon, it may be best to wait until your weight has stabilized.
- Submit a list of current medications and supplements for review and make any recommended changes. Certain medications and herbal supplements, such as blood thinners, aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs like Motrin and Advil, fish oil, vitamin E, ginseng, ginkgo, and garlic, increase the risks of bleeding and bruising.
- Ask a friend or family member to drive you to and from the procedure.
- Wear comfortable clothing with a button-up or zip-up shirt.
- Plan to take time off from work based on the surgeon’s recommendations.
Patient Reviews
Fat Transfer Procedure Description
Dr. Kam specializes in fat transfer for facial rejuvenation. The non-invasive procedure can be performed under local anesthesia, unless it is combined with other procedures such as a facelift. Each surgery is unique based on the patient’s goals, and the cosmetic surgeon explains the fat grafting procedure during the consultation.
The treatment is a two-part process. First, Dr. Kam creates small, inconspicuously placed incisions and inserts a cannula to extract excess fat deposits from the donor site in the abdomen, inner or outer thighs, or buttocks.
She processes the harvested fat and injects the purified viable fat cells into the recipient area to fill specific visible scars or body defects, replace volume under the eyes, or enhance facial hollows. She inserts the injection needle multiple times to deposit the fatty tissue into natural-looking tiny parcels in the tissue.
Injected fat cells are surrounded by a new blood supply. This helps the transferred fat survive and creates smoother skin. Nourishing the area leads it a softer, more natural result. The skin can appear fuller and healthier as the tissue is revitalized with more blood flow and oxygen. Patients may also notice reduced wrinkles as their skin regains volume and elasticity.
Recovery from Facial Fat Transfer
Dr. Kam provides patients with fat transfer aftercare instructions during the consultation. The recovery is relatively easy, but varies depending on the details of the surgery.
The donor area is typically fitted with a compression garment to prevent fluid and blood from collecting under the skin. Drains, although rare, may be used in a large donor area. Patients can expect bruising and swelling in the fat extraction area, which should fade in about one month.
Dr. Kam explains the expected results and details during the consultation. Treated facial areas may show noticeable swelling for 7 to 14 days. Some transferred fat is not expected to survive. The transferred fat settles during the first few days, and the final results are seen in about one month.
The recovery time varies based on the treatment plan, but most patients return to their daily activities in one to two weeks. Closely follow Dr. Kam’s postsurgical instructions to reduce the risk of complications and increase the fat survival rate.
Over and under-corrections are possible with fat injection. However, under-correction is preferable to ensure natural results. Overcorrection is rare and can be managed with a follow-up treatment, if necessary. The patient can contact the Kam Facial Plastic Surgery staff anytime with concerns or questions during the recovery and for tips for keeping the fat transfer results.
Why Choose Dr. Kam for Your Fat Transfer Procedure
Double Board-Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
- Joanna Kam, MD is a Facial Plastic Surgeon certified in Otolaryngology by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
- She completed a residency in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, MI.
- Dr. Kam was one of a handful of students in her medical school class nominated to the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
Fat Transfer Cost
The cost of fat transfer varies, depending on the amount of fat taken from the donor area, the facial areas treated, and the number of injections. Kam Facial Plastic Surgery offers flexible payment options through Care Credit. Dr. Kam explains the procedure’s cost and details during the consultation.
