Fat Injection Information and Photos

What are fat injections or fat transfers?

The terms fat injection and fat transfer refer to the process of taking fat from your stomach area (or another area) and injecting it into your facial area (or other area). The goal of the procedure is to add fullness to the face, lips, buttocks or hands. Facial fat injections, by virtue of the fullness, give some lifting to the general facial structure.

Who can benefit from fat injection or fat transfers to the face?

As you age, the dermis under your skin thins out. This can leave the face looking too thin and has the effect of making the skin look like it sags. This happens to women of all body types: small frame, medium frame, large frame. A fat injection adds fat to the area beneath the skin, and has the effect of 'filling out the face' to a more youthful state. In addition to filling out wrinkles in the face, highly purified fat injections also enhance the blood circulation in the tissues. This is because there are a small number of stem cells that are collected and concentrated during the fat processing. Thus, a small number of stem cells are reinjected into your face! Stem cells and the fountain of youth is an exciting new field of plastic surgery and I have discussed it frequently in my blog.

What areas of the face benefit from fat injections?

Fat injections are commonly used to rejuvenate the lips, bags under the eyes, cheeks and chin.

Patients may be familiar with the use of fat injections for lip augmentation, but there are many other uses in the face. For example, fat injections can also be used to lessen the lines around the mouth, fill in bags under the eyes, fill out the cheeks and chin (areas which might have otherwise used facial implants), or as an all purpose filler in the face.

As we continue to understand the ageing process better, we have come to appreciate that in some patients, rather than stretching tissues, adding soft tissue volume (such as fat) will make the face look younger. We find ourselves using fat injections for ‘touch-ups’ and as a part of face lift surgery.

Do fat injections last?

Some patients think that fat injections “do not last”. However, this is not the case. When properly done, a large percentage of the injected fat cells do indeed survive and are permanent. Since some fat cells are lost, the effect of the fat transfer is not as dramatic after a few weeks. For this reason, we tend to ‘overcorrect,' or inject more than we need to, knowing that after a few weeks the final result will be more to the patient’s liking. If we inject less, the patient may be happy with the initial result, but be disappointed over time as the results ‘disappear’.

What other parts of the body are fat injections or fat transfers done?

Fat transfers can be used for buttocks augmentation, also known as the brazilian butt lift. Fat is first liposuctioned from the stomach or flank area and then processed in a special decanting technique. The purified fat is then transferred or injected into the butt with special cannulas. Using fat transfers for butt augmentation gives a very flattering, sensual, and natural look.

Another area which can benefit from a fat injection is the hands. Fat injections can give the hand a fuller and younger contour. For a more indepth look at this alternative to laser treatments and chemical peels for the hands, see my blog posting, How to make your hands look younger.

How are fat injections different from injectible fillers like restylane?

Compared to injectable facial fillers such as Restylane, fat transfers are more of an involved procedure because the fat has to be harvested from another part of the body. However, unlike injectable fillers, fat transfers can be used in larger volumes to fill larger defects.

What is involved in the fat injection procedure for the facial area?

Fat injections can be done under local or sedation anesthesia. Using small syringes, fat is harvested from the hip, inner or outer thigh, lower back, or lower abdomen. The fat is then processed in a special centrifuge, and is then injected into the desired area. When performed properly, a large percentage of the fat transfer will stay and the face will fill out to look more youthful.

How much do fat injections cost?

The physician's fee for fat injections to the face ranges from $1500 to $4000, depending on the area(s) to be injected. If the procedure is done in conjunction with another facial procedure, a professional discount is usually applied.

Financing is available. Please call the office at 410-494-8100 for a consultation or Contact Us to discuss your individual needs.

Is a Facial Fat Injection Right for Me?

To explore the various types of facial procedures, please visit Dr. Rodriguez's interactive cosmetic surgery quiz, 'What's Right for Me?'.

Fat Injection Photos:

View before and after photos from our portfolio of images: