Fat Transfer

Available In Pittsburgh, PA Or Columbus, OH

What is fat transfer?

Fat transfer to the face is among our most popular facial rejuvenation treatments and is considered one of the most long-lasting and natural treatments to restore facial fullness and volume that is lost to the aging process. Fat transfer to the face can also soften facial lines, wrinkles and folds.

Fat transfer or fat grafting offers a natural approach to restore volume and fullness to:

  • Thin lips
  • Drooping, sagging eyelids
  • Recessed chin

In Pittsburgh, fat transfer is performed by board-certified cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Jason Tomsic in our Mt. Lebanon state-licensed, nationally-accredited surgery center.

In Columbus, Ohio, fat transfer is performed by board-certified plastic surgeon,  Fernando Colon, MD, in our Columbus surgical center.

fattransfer gallery

Treatment information

Fat transfer is a two-step facial rejuvenation treatment. The first step is to remove the unwanted fat, typically from the hips, thighs, buttocks or abdomen. However, fat can removed from anywhere on the body. Using a local anesthetic, the area where the fat is being removed from is desensitized. Then, a small cannula attached to a syringe is placed under the skin. It is gently and systematically moved back and forth as the fat fills the syringe. A nurse then purifies the fat and transfers it into another syringe with an extra small cannula for injecting.

The fat injections are performed using a topographical map layering technique (Figure 1 to the right) developed by our founding medical director, Dominic Brandy, MD. With the topography map, the smallest circle indicates the highest point and the largest circle indicates the lowest point. The fat is layered into the different circles, creating the desired shape and fullness. Layering the fat also guarantees the highest rate of fat retention. Typically, 50 percent of the injected fat is retained, therefore the injected area is overfilled by 25 percent to ensure optimal results.

Fat transfer is the most natural dermal filler as the fat is harvested from the individual”s own body. Fat grafting offers some of the most lasting results once the fat injection treatments have been completed.

Fat grafting and body contouring?

Many people choose to combine fat transfer to the face with liposuction surgery to remove a larger amount of unwanted fat from the belly, love handles, flanks or back.

Cosmetic surgery or body contouring procedures may include:

However, it is not necessary to have a significant amount of fat or a body contouring procedure to remove fat for fat transfer to the face.

How often does the fat grafting treatment need to be repeated?

After the first fat grafting treatment, the body may absorb up to 65 percent of the fat within the first few months. The remaining fat will typically stay in place for many years.

Do I need to have a full liposuction surgery to have fat transfer to my face?

Definitely not. A full Liposuction surgery is not necessary to perform fat transfer to the face. If a full liposuction is not performed to remove the fat, a small cannula attached to a syringe is used. The amount of fat removed using the syringe method will not change the shape of the body or result in weight-loss. Every person has some amount of fat on the body that can be collected for fat transfer to the face.

Alternative treatments

Radiesse smoothes facial lines, wrinkles, and deeper facial creases while stimulating the skin’s natural collagen production. And now it’s FDA-approved for hand rejuvenation, too!

Juvederm® is an FDA-approved hyaluronic acid facial filler that immediately restores lost volume to fine lines, wrinkles and depressed areas of the skin.

Restylane® facial fillers can be used to effectively supplement or replace the hyaluronic acid that diminishes during the aging process.

VOLUMA is the first and only injectable dermal filler FDA-approved for injection deep into the cheek area to restore fullness and volume to the cheek area for an instant cheek lift.

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