Contents
Correct Wrinkles and Restore Facial Volume
Facial fat grafting is a remarkable procedure that actually makes use of your own excess fat cells to correct wrinkles and restore facial volume. You are your own best medicine with this procedure because your own living cells will evoke a pure and glowing fullness to your features. Facial fat grafting presents a compelling case as an all-natural alternative to injectable fillers and nerve-numbing neuromodulators.
Dr. Brian Arslanian is a renowned and respected plastic surgeon. His offices are conveniently located in the Atlanta, Georgia metro area. Contact us to schedule your personal consultation.
Call (678) 894-9200 to speak with one of our helpful representatives. We now offer Virtual Consultations to suit your needs.
About
The goal of fat grafting is to provide a fuller and more youthful contour to the targeted areas. Although fat grafting is less common today (due to the convenience of injectable wrinkle fillers), the treatment provides yet another tool in our cosmetic toolbox that can help you look your best.
Read Dr. Arslanian’s blog for an even deeper dive into his cosmetic toolbox.
A lot of us are trying to lose extra fat from unwanted areas, like the belly, thighs and love handles. Why not put it to good use? And, the comprehensive benefits of facial fat grafting may include some body contouring options, as well.[1] Let’s face it, using your body’s own material for cosmetic enhancement has many advantages.
Benefits
Facial fat grafting includes the body contouring benefits of liposuction as part of its rejuvenating agenda. Within your unwanted bulges lies the key to a fuller face that just beams with vitality.[2]
The many benefits of facial fat grafting can be long-lasting, as well. The fat graft joins with cells at your graft site, eventually sharing the same blood supply. They become indistinguishable from one another.
Fat Grafting Benefits
- Reduced facial creases, folds, wrinkles and depressions
- Augment and enhance the lips and cheeks
- No risk of rejection (because it’s your own tissue)
Candidates
Ideal candidates for facial fat grafting share similarities with the qualified cases for many other minor surgeries. They tend to be physically active non-smokers whose recovery will not be complicated by the effects of a heavy prescription medication regimen. Of course, Dr. Arslanian is open to considering possible exceptions based on the totality of the circumstances.
Your Private Consultation With Dr. Arslanian
Dr. Brian Arslanian grew up the son of working-class immigrants. He knows the meaning of handwork, commitment and following your dreams. After all, he completed one of the most rigorous training programs in general surgery at one of the prestigious Harvard Hospitals: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Now he’s here to help make your own aesthetic dreams come true.
Dr. Arlanian’s process is methodical yet compassionate. Our beaming patients’ glowing reviews light a fire in his soul. At your private consultation, Dr. Arslanian will conduct a brief physical examination and intake interview. He will qualify your candidacy for facial fat grafting and any other procedure he judges likely to enhance your quality of life.
Contact us to schedule your appointment. Call (678) 894-9200 to speak with one of our helpful representatives. Some patients request Virtual Consultations so they can conduct their business remotely.
Procedure
One of the first steps in fat grating is the identification of donor locations. Common areas include the hips, thighs, buttocks, and tummy.[3] We’ll mark and cleanse one or more of these locations and then remove fat using a liposuction cannula or low-pressure syringe.
We collect the fat and prepare it in a centrifuge, which removes water and purifies the injectable lipids. Next, we mark and cleanse the recipient sites and perform injection into these areas at varying depths. A brief massage of the area will help promote an even distribution of fat and smooth results.
Recovery
After fat grafting, we apply dressings, tape and compression garments as needed. A detailed massage program will be advised for your recovery period to ensure optimal results.
While some swelling and bruising are likely after the procedure, pain medication can help manage discomfort. Swelling and bruising should resolve after 2-3 weeks. Your body may naturally absorb some of the injected fat after the surgery; to compensate, we may recommend a touch-up treatment later on, or a slight overfilling of the treatment areas.
As with all surgical procedures, facial fat grafting has potential adverse events such as infection, bleeding, scarring, asymmetry and changes in sensitivity. We’ll review risks and safety information in detail during your consultation in the Atlanta area.
How Long Does Fat Grafting Take to Heal?
It may take several months for your fat grafting procedure to fully heal, depending on how much liposuction Dr. Arslanian performed. It is important to care for your face after a fat transfer surgery. Sleep with your head elevated for approximately three to five days. Antibiotic ointment will minimize the risk of infection to the injection site. A patient may experience mild pain immediately after a facial fat transfer procedure. However, the pain usually will dissipate within a few days. Prescription pain medication will offer a temporary respite from any intermittent discomfort until you’ve healed sufficiently enough for ibuprofen to do the job. Numbness also may occur at various injection sites for up to six months after surgery.
Results
Your facial fat grafting results will be all-natural and long-lasting.
Unlike dermal filler and other injectables, facial fat grafting employs your own living fat cells to provide its rejuvenating results. Best of all, the procedure slyly includes the body contouring enhancements of liposuction. Your unwanted fat bulges will be put to better use at the gaunt and sunken areas of the face that become increasingly apparent as we age.
How Long Does Facial Fat Grafting Last?
Facial fat grafting results are nearly permanent. While injectable fillers are absorbed by the body over time, fat grafting lasts because the transferred fat is actually your own living cells. Some of the fat will be naturally absorbed by the body during the first six weeks after it is injected, but the fat that survives generally continues to exist just like other living tissue in the body.
How Much Does Facial Fat Grafting Cost in Atlanta?
Every patient is a custom case. Dr. Arslanian can quote you an accurate cost at your private consultation. If you’re interested in fat grafting, we encourage you to visit our Atlanta-area plastic surgery offices. Our kind, responsive and respectful staff will treat you like a family member or a friend, while plastic surgeon Dr. Arslanian provides the highest quality care.
During a consultation, we can answer your questions and discuss the treatment options that interest you. Call our Brookhaven or our Jonesboro office at (678) 894-9200 to schedule your visit today.
Watch Dr. Arslanian’s specials page for frequent opportunities to save!
We see patients from across the country. Many of Dr. Brian Arslanian’s patients come from all over Georgia, but some also hail from right here in Atlanta, like the communities of Decatur, Buckhead, Druid Hills, Morningside, Inman Park and Midtown. Financing opportunities are available for those who qualify.
You Are Your Own Best Medicine
Correct wrinkles and restore facial volume with the revitalizing fat cells within you! We bet you thought your troublesome bulges were good for nothing. But, at your private consultation, Dr. Arslanian will drop some knowledge and wake you up to the real benefits of facial fat grafting. You are your own best medicine because your own living cells can give your looks a lift.
FAQ
What is facial fat grafting?
Facial fat grafting uses your own autologous fat to fill in features of your face. The fat is harvested from other parts of your body, and so the procedure can potentially include some body contouring benefits, as well. This fat may be harvested from your abdomen, thighs, buttocks or elsewhere.
Should I gain weight before fat transfer?
No, definitely not. Gaining weight is generally unhealthy and it is wise to be in the best health possible before undergoing any surgery. Also, when you gain weight, the fat will often accumulate in the interior of the adipose layer where it is not accessible by liposuction.
Can you do a fat transfer with someone else’s fat?
No. Your body may reject the fat graft if it is harvested from another being’s body. Autologous fat transfer means that the fat comes from your own body. Using your own fat means there’s no risk of an allergic reaction or rejection of the fat.
References
- Simonacci, F., Bertozzi, N., Grieco, M. P., Grignaffini, E., & Raposio, E. (2017). Procedure, applications, and outcomes of autologous fat grafting. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 20, 49–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2017.06.059
- Pavicic, T., & Funt, D. (2013). Dermal fillers in aesthetics: an overview of adverse events and treatment approaches. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 295. https://doi.org/10.2147/ccid.s50546
- Park, D. M. (2015). Total Facelift: Forehead Lift, Midface Lift, and Neck Lift. Archives of Plastic Surgery, 42(2), 111. https://doi.org/10.5999/aps.2015.42.2.111