Facial fat transfer, also known as fat grafting or lipofilling, is a cosmetic procedure that has gained popularity in Seattle and beyond for its ability to rejuvenate the face and restore a youthful appearance. This procedure involves harvesting fat from one area of the body, purifying it, and then injecting it into the face to add volume, smooth wrinkles, and correct contour irregularities. If you're considering facial fat transfer in Seattle, it's essential to understand the procedure's intricacies, including its costs, benefits, risks, and the expertise required for optimal results.
What is Facial Fat Transfer?
Facial fat transfer is a procedure that moves fat from one area of your body to another. For example, a surgeon can take excess fat from your abdomen or thighs and inject it into your face. Say you’re already looking into ways to achieve your ideal body shape through a procedure like liposuction, which removes fat from areas of your body where fat has built up over time. The fat transfer procedure itself can be complicated, and not without its challenges.
During facial fat transfer, small amounts of fat are taken from areas of the body like the abdomen, buttocks, or thighs. The fat is then centrifuged to remove any unwanted fluid or blood, and the pure fat cells are then transferred to smaller syringes and injected with very fine cannulas into the areas that require volume. The injection is performed through multiple small openings in the skin that are created with a needle so that there is no visible scarring.
Benefits of Facial Fat Grafting
Facial fat grafting provides numerous benefits for individuals looking to improve facial imperfections and enhance their appearance:
- Natural-Looking Volume: Facial fat grafting is a great option for adding natural-looking volume to the face. Because you’re using your natural body fat to fill in other areas, a fat transfer may reduce the need for synthetic materials and other fillers to achieve your desired look.
- Long-Lasting Results: Facial fat grafting can provide long-lasting and natural-looking results for those looking to enhance their facial appearance. With a fat transfer in Seattle, you may still need more than one procedure to see the results you want. However, once enough fat takes root within your face, these results remain permanent.
- Biocompatibility: Fat is easily accessible in most patients, can provide permanent augmentation, and blends in with the surrounding facial tissue. Since it uses your body’s own tissue, there’s no risk of allergic reactions or rejection.
- Versatility: Dr. Santos can transfer fat to many areas of the face to provide natural fullness and help get rid of hollows on the face. Facial fat grafting is ideal for individuals looking to restore lost volume, lessen the appearance of wrinkles, improve cheek contours, fill in under-eye hollowing, restore temple hollowing, contour the neck and jawline, and enhance facial shape.
Ideal Candidates for Facial Fat Grafting
A good candidate for facial fat grafting is an individual who wants to enhance or restore facial volume and address concerns, including hollowness, sagging, or scarring. They should also have enough excess body fat in areas of the body like the thighs, buttocks, or abdomen to harvest for the fat transfer. Patients should be at a relatively stable body weight, as significant weight gain or loss can impact results. One needs to have some fat reserves in the body to harvest the fat. It is best to perform the procedure when you are at your most stable weight so that your surgeons don’t over or under-treat. We prefer to perform the procedure when you are within 10 pounds of your stable weight.
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As we age, our facial fat pads deflate, especially in the upper and mid-face. This process, along with an accumulation of fat in the lower, namely the jowls and underneath the chin, turns the face from a triangle with the apex (narrow tip) down, to an upside-down triangle with the tip up. Facial volume loss starts in the late 30s and continues as we age, so by the time we are in our early 50s, most patients would benefit from fat grafting.
The Facial Fat Grafting Procedure
The process of fat grafting starts with the harvesting of donor fat cells from regions of the body that tend to have an over-abundance of fat cells: abdomen and flanks (usually in men), and outer and inner thighs and knees (usually in women). The harvesting procedure is identical to liposuction that is performed for body contouring, with one exception: the amount of fat harvested is much less for facial fat grafting.
During surgery, Dr. Santos will make a small incision at the harvest site and insert a miniature liposuction cannula to harvest the necessary fat. Usually, only a little fat is needed to accomplish dramatic results with a Seattle facial fat transfer. Using a thin cannula and tiny injection sites, Dr. Santos will inject the fat into the face. Little fat is transferred during each injection. This allows Dr. Santos to precisely inject the fat, ensuring a good result and safety during surgery. He will inject more fat than desired because some fat will be reabsorbed by your body as you heal. At the end of the procedure, Dr. Santos may suture the harvest or injection sites, though this may not be required at all locations.
After being transferred to the face, fat cells integrate into the facial tissue and develop a new blood supply. Although not every fat cell survives the transfer, most of the fat typically does and becomes a permanent new part of the face.
Recovery and Expected Results
Facial fat transfer results take time to become fully visible. You may notice some of the effects of your fat transfer immediately. However, you will also experience swelling and bruising in your face and must wait a couple of weeks for these side effects to disappear. Additionally, be patient and give your body time to integrate the fat injections into your facial tissue and develop a new blood supply.
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When you come back to full consciousness after surgery, your may feel tightness or tenderness in the face. While you may experience swelling for up to a few weeks, noticeable swelling should subside within a week. For the first few days after the procedure, you can expect to wear a compression garment at night around the harvest site. While there should be limited need for prescription pain medication, Dr. Santos can help you manage any tenderness or discomfort using over-the-counter painkillers, like acetaminophen. Dr. Santos will restrict strenuous activity and exercise for around two weeks after surgery. He will approve your return to work and exercise on a case-by-case basis based on your post-operative appointments and healing after your facial fat transfer in Tacoma.
Although this is a permanent procedure, during the fat grafting process, about half of the fat that is injected will survive. This process finalizes at about 6 months after the procedure. Because we expect about half of the fat to resorb, we tend to overfill slightly at the time of surgery. At about three months, the fat cells start to “wake up” so that by about six months, the results will be permanent. We do want to emphasize that fat grafting does not stop the aging process, so eventually one may need additional volume.
Risks and Potential Side Effects
As with any procedure, potential side effects with facial fat grafting can occur. Bruising and swelling at the injection and donor sites are common after the procedure. In extremely rare cases, if fat is injected into a vein it travels to the lungs, causing a fat embolism.
In some cases, fat moved from one area of the body to another can naturally dissipate over time. In some cases, transplanted fat cells may also die after being transferred, which could lead to necrosis.
Cost of Facial Fat Grafting in Seattle
The cost of a facial fat grafting procedure will vary. In Seattle, the cost typically ranges from $4,000 to $10,000, depending on patient goals and surgeon expertise. The cost of Facial Fat Grafting in Seattle will depend on multiple factors, including where the fat is taken from and how much is needed to match your desired aesthetic. Facial fat grafting with local anesthesia costs $4,995 and with general anesthesia costs $5,995. These prices can change depending upon your specific needs.
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Fat transfer typically costs more upfront than dermal fillers. However, since the results of fat grafting can be permanent, it avoids the need for periodic touch-ups and can be more cost-effective in the long term.
Facial Fat Grafting vs. Dermal Fillers
Facial fat grafting and dermal fillers both have unique benefits and drawbacks. Dermal fillers are substances made with hyaluronic acid, calcium hydroxylapatite, or poly-l-lactic acid, among other compounds, that resemble human skin tissue. They can be used to offset fat volume loss in the cheeks, lips or temples, or to fill in creases, lines and folds, smoothing and firming the complexion. They can even be used to reshape the nose or the chin during a non-surgical contouring session. Results typically last anywhere from 6 to 24 months.
Here’s how they compare:
- Longevity: Fat grafting provides lasting results, with many patients keeping 50-70% of the transferred fat permanently. Synthetic fillers typically last 6-18 months and need regular maintenance.
- Natural Look and Feel: Since fat grafting uses your own tissue, the results look and feel more natural than synthetic fillers, which can sometimes feel firmer or shift over time.
- Volume Potential: Fat grafting allows for more volume enhancement than fillers, making it a great choice for those who want a more noticeable yet natural improvement.
- Procedure Type: Fillers are a quick, non-surgical option with little to no downtime, while fat grafting is a short surgical procedure that requires recovery.
Most dermal fillers are easily reversed and dissolved, while grafted fat is much more difficult to remove or reverse.
Choosing a Surgeon in Seattle
One of the most important things to remember about a fat transfer is that it’s as much an art as it is a science. Failure to accurately or safely place fat back into the body may lead to negative side effects or an uneven appearance. It’s essential to choose a qualified and experienced surgeon who specializes in facial fat grafting. Look for a board-certified plastic surgeon with a thorough understanding of facial anatomy and a proven track record of successful outcomes.