Facial fat injections can last for years
Fat injections are a way to add fullness to areas of the face using a natural filler from your own body. This procedure has become more popular as techniques to handle fat cells have improved and the theory of deflation with aging has become widely accepted.
The longevity of fat grafting depends on the survival of fat cells (adipocytes) during the first 1-3 months after the procedure. Many cosmetic surgeons will report a fat cell survival rate of 50% to 70%. Those fat cells that make it past the first few months tend to last for years, if not forever. Over time, the face will continue to age but from a baseline of the new shape.
How facial fat injections work
- Your surgeon plans where to take fat (donor area) and where to place it (recipient area)
- The donor area is numbed with an anesthetic fluid (tumescent anesthesia)
- A mini-liposuction is performed to collect your fat cells
- The fat is processed and purified with a centrifuge, gravity separation, or filtration
- The recipient area is numbed with an anesthetic
- Fat droplets are placed (a small amount at a time) in targeted areas with a cannula (thin, blunt tube)
Areas of the face where fat injections shine
- Cheeks
- Temples
- Brows and forehead
- Under-eyes (using micro-fat consisting of smaller parcels)
- Earlobes
Areas where fat grafting is less predictable
- Lips
- Nasolabial creases
- Chin