How Does Fat Grafting Work in Plastic Surgery?

Fat grafting offers a minimally invasive way to improve the contour or increase the size of various parts of the face and body. These procedures come with an additional perk: removing unwanted fat from stubborn areas such as the “love handles” or abdomen. Dr. Carlos Chacon offers fat grafting at Divino Plastic Surgery to refine features such as the lips, face and buttocks.

The Fat Grafting Procedure

Fat injections are often used to improve areas where surgical intervention is impractical, such as restoring volume to the cheeks and increasing lip or buttock size. The procedure involves removing surplus fat from the donor site (such as the hips, abdomen or thighs). The removed fat is purified and injected into the targeted area to restore fullness to the face, plump the lips or contour the buttocks. While your body will reabsorb some of the relocated fat cells, a large percentage remains in the area for long-lasting results.

Plastic surgeries involving fat injections use your fatty tissues to add volume to another area. Fat grafting lowers some risks of traditional augmentation procedures, because there is no foreign object involved (e.g., silicone facial or buttock implants). There is a very low risk of adverse or allergic reaction because your body recognizes the transplanted fat as your own.

Facial fat grafting typically takes under an hour at Divino Plastic Surgery, but buttock augmentation with fat transfer will require more time. Repeat treatments are an option to touch up and retain your look. Other procedures may complement fat grafting, including facelift, chemical peel or microdermabrasion by highlighting the increased volume and improving the texture and tone of your skin.

Candidates for Fat Grafting Procedures

Fat grafting may be a good choice for men and women interested in restoring lost facial volume or slimming down other body areas for a youthful appearance and thinner figure. You may opt to revitalize your facial features by adding fullness to sunken cheeks or temples, or by filling in wrinkles. Dr. Chacon can even rejuvenate the appearance of aging, wrinkled hands with fat injections.

Candidates for fat grafting procedures to enhance lip size, restore facial volume or contour the buttocks must have enough fat stores in other areas to use as donor fat. Even candidates who are naturally thin usually have enough fat to graft and relocate.

Contact Divino Plastic Surgery

If you are interested in a fat grafting procedure, contact Divino Plastic Surgery to schedule your consultation with Dr. Chacon to learn more about your options.