Fat Grafting (Transfer) for Youthful Face

A new type of surgery called fat grafting (transfer) for face, also known as autologous fat transfer, is a hot trend in the beauty industry right now. Instead of using man-made fillers, this method uses your fat tissue to make the skin look fuller, smoother, and healthier. Fat grafting for face applications has been going on for more than 10 years, the success rate reaches 95%. In the last ten years, we have seen that fat grafting can add volume and help tissue to grow. 

Fat transfer prices in Turkey are between $1800 and $7000. Want to know how many bucks you will pay without visiting the clinic? If so, send us your photos and let us know what you want to do, and we’ll tell you how much it’ll cost!

what is facial lipofilling
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What Is Facial Fat Grafting?

In fact, fat grafting surgery is a frequently preferred method for buttocks and breasts. However, it is a very natural alternative that can also be applied to the face for patients who do not want to have foreign substances injected into their body.

Facial fat grafting involves taking fat cells from one part, like the tummy, and putting them into parts of the face where there’s less fat. The technique uses the body’s ability to repair itself. Processed fat is injected into the face to make up for lost volume caused by ageing, weight loss or differences in how the face is shaped.

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How It Differs from Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers contain some foreign & synthetic materials such as hyaluronic acid, injectable calcium or PLLA. However, in fat grafting, we use your own biological tissue.

Another difference from dermal fillers is the permanence of fat transfer. Fillers for the face usually stay for 9 to 12 months. That’s why, you need to do one or two sessions each year to get a lasting result. But natural fat injections can make a permanent improvement.

Another difference is that fat transfer can help the body to repair itself, thanks to special cells that are found in fat tissue.

Treatment Areas

For fat grafting for face wrinkles, fat is first collected from other parts of the body. These harvested fat is processed and put into small syringes. The syringes are used to inject the fat into parts of the face where it is needed. Aging causes fluid to build up in some parts of the face. The most common areas of the face that are treated with fat grafting include:

  • The area between the nose and the upper lip (the malar area).
  • The folds of skin that run from the nose to the corners of the mouth (mid-cheek, paranasal, and nasolabial folds).
  • Temples
  • Cheeks, 
  • Marionette lines
  • A hollow around the eyes (tear troughs).
  • The jawline and chin.

How Fat Transfer for Face Works

1. Step 1: Fat is Gently Removed:

The procedure starts with the removal of fat from areas like the thighs & lower abdomen. We use a mild local anaesthetic (called tumescent anaesthesia).

2. So, the next step is to purify the fat.

Then, the fat is cleaned up. You can do this by letting it settle (decantation) or spinning it (centrifugation) to separate the healthy fat cells from the fluids and oils.

3. Getting ready for the injection:

Once the fat’s been purified, it’s loaded into small syringes. So, your surgeon can control how much is injected.

4. Injection 

We use thin cannulas that are the thin and rounded-tip tubes to inject the fat in small amounts. This helps spread the fat evenly and supports better long-term results.

5. Now, it’s time for placement.

The surgeon puts the fat into different layers of the face. This technique makes the fat blend better with the natural tissue and helps it last longer.

Duration of Procedure and Anesthesia Type

Facial fat transfer usually takes about an hour or two, depending on how many areas you’re treating and how much fat you need. You can have this procedure with local anaesthetic and sedation or general anaesthetic, depending on the surgery plan. Most of these patients are discharged the same day, and outpatient settings are pretty common.

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Best Candidates

Who Is an Ideal Candidate?

People who are considering face fat grafting usually include those who:

  • Have a real loss of facial volume.
  • There’s enough fat for the procedure.
  • There aren’t any active skin infections or other inflammatory conditions.
  • People who don’t smoke or those who are planning to stop smoking before and after the operation.
  • Patients should have realistic expectations and be in good general health. 

If you’ve got autoimmune disorders or issues with your coagulation, you might need to get checked out some more.

a female patient who have facial fat grafting

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Benefits of Fat Grafting for the Face

Here are the key advantages of fat grafting – transfer for face.

  1. It’s totally normal for your body! The fat used in the procedure comes from your own body, so there’s no risk of allergic reactions or rejection. Your body recognises it, so it blends in more easily.
  2. It gives you results that last at least five years. Not all of the transferred fat survives, but a good portion of it stays in place for the long term – sometimes even permanently. That means you can enjoy the results for years without having to keep touching it up.
  3. Fat creates a smoother, more natural look than synthetic fillers. The results don’t look overfilled – they just make you look and feel refreshed.
  4. Some studies suggest that fat tissue contains stem cells that could help to renew the skin from within. So, not only is the volume increased, but you might also see better skin texture and tone.

Aftercare and Recovery

Facial lipofilling consists of the reinjection of purified natural fat. It is a 30 to 60 minute, practical application that does not require inpatient treatment. Therefore, it has very few side effects and aftercare is relatively easy.

You might see some swelling and bruising in the first week or so, but that’s normal. We often tell patients to avoid intense exercise, moving their face too much, or putting pressure on the grafted areas. Sleeping with your head up can help reduce swelling. It’s normal for fat to be reduced by about 30–40% in the first few months. You’ll usually get the final results after 3 to 6 months.

Citations

  1. Schiraldi L, Gianluca Sapino, Meuli J, et al. Facial Fat Grafting (FFG): Worth the Risk? A Systematic Review of Complications and Critical Appraisal. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2022;11(16):4708-4708. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11164708 
  2. Coleman SR. Structural Fat Grafting. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2005;115(6):1777-1778. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/01.prs.0000166915.63531.1b
  3. Marten TJ, Elyassnia D. Fat Grafting in Facial Rejuvenation. Clinics in Plastic Surgery. 2015;42(2):219-252. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cps.2014.12.003
  4. Marten T, Elyassnia D. Facial Fat Grafting: Why, Where, How, and How Much. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2018;42(5):1278-1297. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-018-1179-x
  5. Azoury SC, Shakir S, Bucky LP, Percec I. Modern Fat Grafting Techniques to the Face and Neck. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 2021;148(4):620e633e. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/prs.0000000000008405
 

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