One of the hallmarks of youth is the full, plump appearance of facial skin. As we age, our skin naturally loses volume as the subcutaneous fat thins. To restore lost volume, Dr. Nirav Savalia can remove fat cells from another area of the body via a small pinhole (typically the hips, thighs or abdomen), purify, and process the fat cells, and inject them into the face to add natural volume.
Facial Fat Transfer
What is a facial fat transfer?
Facial fat transfer or fat grafting can be an excellent alternative to injectable fillers. Facial fat transfer can produce results that may be superior to fillers such as Juvéderm®, or Radiesse® if you want lasting results or have a sensitivity to synthetic fillers. Fat transfer can also be effective for younger men and women who want to augment their cheeks, improve the appearance of a scar, or correct certain facial imperfections or asymmetries. It can also be used to correct indentations or irregularities from lipo or trauma.
Why choose us?
- Dr. Nirav Savalia is listed as a Top Doctor on both RealSelf and Orange Coast and is the proud recipient of the 2018 Physician of Excellence Award
- He uses his extensive experience and training in facial anatomy to provide a natural, rejuvenated result in all fat transfer procedures
Fat grafting has many cosmetic uses and my patients have seen very good results from the procedure in adding facial volume or correcting blemishes and scars.
What to expect during facial fat transfer?
Dr. Nirav Savalia can perform fat grafting by itself or as an adjunct to another procedure such as a facelift. Fat is first removed from the targeted area through a small pinhole, causing minimal trauma. It is then processed to capture any viable cells that can be transferred. The cells are then injected directly into hollowed areas.
Fat transfer may be beneficial to the following areas of the face:
- The area surrounding the eyes
- Cheeks
- Nasolabial folds
- Lips
Fat transfer also can be very effective in minimizing the appearance of facial scars (including pockmarks and acne scars) and filling indentations on any area of the body.
Am I a candidate for facial fat transfer?
Patients with the following concerns may be good candidates for facial fat transfer:
- The cheek structure has lost volume
- Visible laugh lines have become etched into the facial structure
- There is a hollow look below the eyes, marring the facial appearance
- Sunken temples
- An indentation from a prior liposuction procedure
What is the recovery for facial fat transfer?
Generally, the downtime for facial fat transfer is minimal. After the injections are complete, you may experience some redness, bruising, or swelling. While some fillers last a year or less, the results of fat transfer can be seen for many years. The transplanted cells are now part of your body.
A certain percentage of implanted fat cells will not survive the implantation process, so a second procedure may be needed to correct a hollow look or facial imperfection.
Dr. Savalia and his staff far exceeded my expectations. I love the results of my surgery! My clothes fit better, I have more confidence, and I feel like my breasts are back to where they were before having children.
Can fat transfer be done with other facial enhancements?
Dr. Nirav Savalia often uses fat transfer in conjunction with a facelift, eyelid surgery, or a brow lift to significantly enhance the overall result. Fat transfer can add much-needed volume to the cheeks when performing a facelift or add volume when performing eyelid surgery. On their own, these procedures are focused on surgical sculpting and will require fat grafting or fillers if added volume is desired.
A note on stem cells
You may have heard that the use of stem cells for fat transfer procedures will improve results. Stem cells are hot buzzwords in marketing, but the claims are often unsubstantiated. While there are studies in progress on how stem cells may improve survival rates of implanted cells, the medical literature is not definitive regarding the use of stem cells in fat transfer to improve outcomes. Dr. Savalia continues to monitor these studies and always offers what he believes to be the most effective treatment option.