Venus Clinic is a hospital where only liposuction and fat transplant surgery is performed, minimizing the incidence of complications and always ready for the best results.

# Fat Grafting - Facial Fat Grafting

Filling hollow areas of the face with your own fat

Illustration of facial fat grafting marking the temples and the under-eye and cheek area

This illustration was created with AI to aid understanding and does not show an actual surgical result.

With age, the facial fat and the tissue around the bones gradually decrease: the forehead and temples become hollow, shadows appear under the eyes and along the nasolabial folds, and the cheeks look flat. Facial fat grafting harvests fat from areas with a surplus, such as the abdomen or thighs, purifies it, and transfers it in small portions to areas that have lost volume.

Because your own tissue is used, there is little foreign-body sensation, and the fat that takes hold remains together with the surrounding tissue. However, not all of the transferred fat survives and the amount varies from person to person, so additional grafting is planned when needed.

Who May Consider It

Those whose forehead and temples are hollow, making the side profile look uneven
Those who are told they look tired because of under-eye hollows or shadows along the nasolabial folds
Those whose cheeks look flat or whose face looks gaunt after weight loss
Those who want to naturally correct small defects of the chin or facial contour
Those who prefer to restore volume with their own tissue rather than repeating fillers

How the Procedure Is Performed

STEP 1. Consultation and design

We check hollow areas and asymmetry from the front, side and oblique views and plan the amount needed for each area, considering the balance of the whole face.

STEP 2. Fat harvesting

Under tumescent local anesthesia, the required amount of fat is harvested from the abdomen or thighs with a fine cannula. On the same principle as liposuction, the donor contour can be refined at the same time.

STEP 3. Purification

Blood, anesthetic fluid and free oil are removed, leaving only the fat to be grafted, without applying excessive force that could damage fat cells.

STEP 4. Injection

Using a fine blunt cannula, very small amounts are placed in multiple layers and directions. Spreading the fat rather than clumping it helps new blood vessels grow into the graft.

Safety Principles

1. Little by little, in multiple layers. The widely accepted standard for facial fat grafting is to place purified fat in small portions across multiple layers with a blunt cannula. Placing a large amount in one layer can leave the center without blood supply, leading to absorption, lumps or cysts.

2. Avoiding the course of blood vessels. The literature reports rare cases in which fat entered a blood vessel, causing visual impairment or cerebrovascular complications, and severe complications have been reported most often in the forehead and temple. We therefore consider the course of facial vessels, use blunt cannulas and inject slowly with low pressure.

3. Never overfilling at once. Studies report that on average around 40% of facial fat grafted without enhancement remains. Rather than overfilling in anticipation of absorption, we graft within a natural range and consider additional grafting after two to three months if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Will my face look bigger?

Because only the amount needed is placed in hollow areas, we consider the size and proportions of the whole face when planning each area. The face may look fuller immediately after surgery due to swelling, but it settles as the swelling subsides.

Q. How is it different from fillers?

Fillers inject a material that is absorbed over time, whereas fat grafting transfers your own fat, which remains as tissue once it takes hold. On the other hand, fat must be harvested, and because part of the transferred fat is absorbed, additional grafting may be needed.

Q. What happens if I lose or gain weight after grafting?

Transferred fat may respond to weight changes like fat in its original location. Avoiding large weight changes after surgery helps maintain the shape.

Recovery

Swelling and bruising of the face may be noticeable for several days after surgery and usually subside over one to two weeks. Early volume includes swelling, so the final appearance settles over several months. We will advise you not to press or massage the grafted areas firmly.

※ Possible side effects include bleeding, infection, hematoma, variable fat graft survival, asymmetry, calcification and swelling. Results may vary from person to person.