How long does the fat transfer to face procedure take?

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.

Related FAQs: