Fat Transfer to Face

Fat transfer to the face is an advanced surgical treatment which involves harvesting and filtering unwanted fat cells through liposuction techniques, then reinjecting them to either help rejuvenate and restore lost volume in the face.

The same technique can be used to improve the natural contours of the body and do the breast. This is most usually performed under either a local or general anaesthetic depending on the patient and surgeons' preferences and suitability.

Fat transfer procedure times vary according to the amount of fat that needs to be harvested and then injected to deliver the desired results.

In practice, this is typically between 30 minutes and 1 hour for treatments to the face that do not require large volumes of fat to be harvested.

• First the fat is harvested from elsewhere - often the tummy or thighs. If the aim is only to provide a little fat for the face then this might take as little as 20 minutes (this can take up to an hour for other fat transfer procedures where the donor area is sculpted following harvesting)
• Then there is the processing of which there are several methods - washing, filtering and spinning. This takes no more than 5 – 10 minutes, although if refining stem cells for later injection, this can take much longer
• Finally precise fat placement into the face can be done in 10 minutes, although for larger areas in the face this can take longer

There is a technique available at the Cadogan Clinic where a large quantity of fat is taken and then frozen and stored. Small amounts can then be taken from the store over months or even years to layer the fat, building up the contour. Each of these injection sessions can be carried out swiftly in a matter of minutes.

Fat obtained by liposuction can be grafted to the breasts, buttocks or anywhere in the body, but the commonest, and by far the most important area, is the face. But why the face?

Gravity was thought to be the major factor in facial ageing, with all soft facial tissue descending vertically as a result of thinning and sagging of retaining ligaments. In recent years, surgeons have now understood that the majority of the volume loss actually occurs at the bone and deep fat compartment level, which causes the ligaments loosen and the superficial layers to sag since the existing bony structures are no longer there to support them.

Fat is therefore an excellent volumizing resource to restore both structure and volume to the face. The ligaments face and skin in the mid face can be lifted back upwards, to rest on these restored structures.

Whilst fillers deliver a similar action in the early stages of ageing, such solutions are only temporary corrections given the dissolvable nature of dermal filler. By contrast the patients own fat is not only permanent, but it is often enriched with stem cells, meaning it can permanently replace volume and have regenerative effects on the overlying skin.

Some common treatment areas in the face include

• Fat transfer to the cheek to restore volume lost by the resorption of bony and fat deposits with the passage of time, and restore the prominence of the cheek bone structure
• Fat transfer under the eyebrows to lift both them and the upper eyelids, thus restoring the brow and opening the eye. This technique is now a standard adjunct to blepharoplasty (upper eyelid reduction)
• Fat grafting of the ageing hollowness of the temple and adjacent forehead to restore that youthful shape.
• Fat grafting to the pointed chin of older people to restore tissue loss and correct the shape

Fat grafting (fat transfer) of the face can be carried out as a procedure on its own or combined with other procedures on the face, such as face and neck lifting and blepharoplasty (upper and lower eyelid reduction). A useful thought is to consider fat grafting if you are having liposuction elsewhere since this fat can be usefully employed elsewhere in the body, and not simply thrown away.

The fat is taken from anywhere convenient or somewhere that you would like reduced. Generally, we use the lower abdomen, inner and outer thighs.

We only need small amounts for the face but may have to search harder for the larger amounts for augmenting the breasts or buttocks. Very slim patients may present a problem.

These donor areas will be bruised for three weeks and completely settle over three months.

Large amounts are of fat are not required, but it is nevertheless an opportunity to remove unwanted or stubborn fat from your body if you have some.

The fat is processed and sometimes enhanced with extra stem cells also obtained from fat to ensure a better take of graft, which will be important in smokers and those with poor healing.

To deliver the best results a certain level of fat is required and your specialised surgeon will be able to assess this during your initial consultation and examination.

The volumes required a very minimal however for an effective solution to the face, so it is very rare that we are unable to find sufficient deposits somewhere in the body.

On the rare occasion, very slim patients can present an insurmountable problem, but you will be advised by your surgeon at your consultation.

Obtaining (harvesting) the fat usually from the tummy of thighs is usually required before fat transfer to the face, and will be a required stage of your procedure.

The only instance when this is not the case is for those who have previously had liposuction or fat transfer procedures and who have stored their own fat stored from this previous procedure. In which case it is simply defrosted and injected without loss of potency.

Fat transfer is not a painful procedure. You will be under the influence of anaesthetic or fully sedated during the procedure and will not feel anything.

Afterwards you will be given paracetamol to manage any mild discomfort you may experience.

For patients worried about pain, it is always possible to have the procedure either fully sedated or under general anaesthetic.

After your surgery, you will be asked to come in for a post-operative appointment to come back and see our nursing staff at the Clinic between 1 and 2 weeks after your surgery. At this point your incision sites will be reviewed, and your preliminary healing will be assessed.

After 6 weeks your surgeon will personally review your progress – again at the Clinic - and make sure you are recovering as expected. In addition, they will remove any stitches and advise you on the need for further dressings.

Throughout the recovery period you will have full access to our 24/7 on call nursing service, and full access to the Clinic and our post-operative facilities.

Our aim is to make you feel as comfortable as possible during the entirety of your recovery period.

As a facial fat graft is a minimally invasive procedure, minimal downtime is required. We suggest a few days off work to allow for the swelling to settle. You should be back at work within a week and you will be able to return to exercise in two weeks.

We always advise that you return to low impact activities first, such as walking and cycling, before you are able to reintroduce more strenuous physical activity such as lifting heavy weights and doing intense aerobic activities. A potential risk of facial fat grafting is the fat not ‘taking’, hence we ask you not to do any exercise in the first couple of weeks to allow the fat graft to take up its new blood supply.

You can start driving again a few days post-surgery. Restricted sexual activity can resume after a few days. You can discuss this in more detail with your surgeon.

It is important that you follow the aftercare instructions issued by your surgeon. A failure to follow these could impact upon the results of the facial fat transfer and delay the healing process.

Final results are typically first seen a few weeks after your procedure, with ongoing improvements beyond this point likely as the healing process fully completes over the coming 3 to 6 months, and as your fat continues to re-distribute itself and settle.

Your surgeon will be able to give you specific guidance at your consultation.

Fat transfer to the facial areas is also a long-term solution which will last for many years as your consultant will discuss with you in your consultation.

Between 50–70% of the transferred fat is retained long term, and will last just like normal fat. It will even grow with weight gain. With time however, it will begin to wane alongside your other fat deposits. This should not happen before many years, however.
Some factors will impact the longevity of your results:

• The skill of your surgeon - hоw thе fаt was harvested аnd purified, and hоw аnd whеrе it was іnjесtеd all impact longevity. The more skilled the surgeon and the better his/her understanding of the technique, the longer lasting the results
• The technique employed - a process саllеd mісrоfаt grаftіng, although lаbоr іntеnѕіvе, is the bеѕt way tо еnѕurе thаt thе hіghеѕt percentage оf grаftеd fat wіll tаkе.
• How well your body adapts to the transferred fat - thе іnjесtеd fаt must еѕtаblіѕh a nеw blооd ѕuррlу frоm уоur bоdу and receives thе nourishment іt nееdѕ for ѕurvіvаl. Whеn this hарреnѕ, rеѕultѕ can аnd оftеn are реrmаnеnt; hоwеvеr, thеrе mау bе a percentage оf fаt that does nоt tаkе, whісh іѕ whу tоuсhuр рrосеdurеѕ are ѕоmеtіmеѕ nесеѕѕаrу. Lifestyle factors such as smoking can impact this

Generally, fat survives best when put into areas with its own abundant blood supply. The face, which is so well vascularised, picks up a new supply quickly and the majority of the fat survives. Results are often at their best in the facial region, as a result.

As your anaesthetic or sedation wears off, you will wake up in our recovery facilities at the Cadogan Clinic. Any drowsiness will wear off within a few hours. After you have had something to eat and drink, our nursing staff will allow you to leave with a friend or family member. We advise that someone should stay with you for 24 hours after the surgery.

It is common to feel mild pain and discomfort in the immediate aftermath of surgery, but this will wear off in due course. You will have access to our 24/7 on call nursing service for any questions or queries you may have during this period.

One or two weeks after your surgery, you will be asked to return to the clinic for a post-operative appointment with our nursing staff, who will review your incision sites and assess your healing.

After six weeks your surgeon will personally review your progress and make sure you are recovering as expected. In addition, they will remove any stitches and advise you on the need for further dressings.

There may be a little swelling and bruising after surgery, but you should be back to your daily routine within a few days.

Certain lifestyle factors can increase the risk of complications during and after your surgery. These include smoking, drinking alcohol, being overweight and taking drugs (for medical or recreational use.)

The most common impact of smoking before your surgery is that it increases your chances of developing an infection and inhibits your body's natural healing processes. We insist that all patients stop smoking and using nicotine products at least six weeks before surgery. Reducing alcohol intake is also strongly advised. This is particularly important for fat grafting surgery in which the fat's viability post-procedure is materially reduced in a smoker population.

Your doctor will discuss your current BMI and drug use at your consultation and advise you further on this.

Not only is the fat relatively easy to harvest via liposuction, but the transferred fat is biocompatible, non-allergenic, non-toxic and relatively easy to obtain in meaningful volumes.

More recently surgeons have used the therapeutic and rejuvenating benefits of fat grafting in the healing of wounds and scars, as well as fat's ability to repair damage to breast tissue following radiation treatment.

The rejuvenative effects are due to the high concentration of mesenchymal cells present in the fat tissue.

This natural 'autologous' resource is therefore readily accepted in the treatment area, is easily topped up and can provide additional rejuvenating benefits.

Whilst there are always risk that present during surgical treatment, fat transfer procedures are generally a very common and safe group of procedure.

Please see our risks and complications section for more information about risks and side effects.

Your surgeon will be delighted to talk you through these comprehensively at your consultation.