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What to Expect from Facial Fat Rejuvenation
Facial fat grafting may be performed under either local or general anesthesia. First, fat is harvested from another area of your body using a liposuction cannula (a thin metal tube). Fat can be taken from your abdomen, thighs, buttocks or love handles.
Once purified, the fat is injected into the areas of the face using a small puncture. Common areas include lips, cheeks, chin, under eye, around the mouth, and jawline. The punctures are minimally visible once healed.
Because this is a transfer of natural material from your own body, there is a small amount of fat reabsorbed. This reabsorption occurs over the 6-8 weeks following surgery, and your surgeon will inject an increased amount of fat to account for this, though occasionally a second fat grafting session may be required for optimal results.
Facial Fat Grafting Recovery
You are usually able to resume regular activities the day of your treatment, depending on the amount of fat that was harvested from donor sites. You will be swollen and bruised at the donor and injection sites. You can expect the bruising to subside in a couple of days, and for the swelling to go down completely in 2-4 weeks. Avoid wearing makeup for at least a day post-surgery.
Frequently asked questions
- How long do results from facial fat grafting last?
Once transferred fat becomes stable within your tissues, the results are quite long lasting, if not permanent. However, some transferred fat is inevitably reabsorbed during the healing period, and your features will continue to age normally over time, which may lead to a need for additional fat grafting in the future if desired to maintain results.