In short. Facial fat grafting moves your own fat from the abdomen or thighs to areas that have lost volume: temples, midface, tear troughs, jawline. It is the only filler that is entirely your own tissue and can last for years. Survival is variable — commonly around half the injected volume — so a planned touch-up months later is normal, not a failure.
Key points
- It treats volume loss, not descent or skin quality.
- Survival is variable; about half is a common estimate.
- Overcorrection is deliberately mild; touch-ups are planned.
- Very lean patients may lack donor fat.
- It cannot lift tissue or resurface skin.
What does it treat?
Faces age by descending, losing volume, and degrading in skin quality. Fat grafting treats volume: the deflated temple, the flattened cheek, the hollow under the eye. It does not lift descended tissue and does not resurface skin, which is why it is often one component of a plan rather than the whole answer.
How does it compare with a manufactured filler?
| Fat grafting | Manufactured filler | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Your own tissue | Gel |
| Duration | Years | Months |
| Reversibility | Not dissolvable | Dissolvable class only |
| Survival | Variable, about half | Predictable volume |
| Donor site | Yes | No |
| Best for | Lasting volume restoration | Precise, reversible correction |
How is the graft built?
Fat is harvested gently with thin cannulas, processed to remove oil and blood, and re-injected in many small threads at multiple depths — droplet by droplet, so each strand finds surrounding blood supply. Overcorrection at the first session is deliberately mild, because some volume always resorbs; a planned touch-up months later is normal practice.
Who is it for — and not for?
It suits patients with genuine volume loss and enough donor fat. Very lean patients may have nothing sensible to harvest. It does not suit active skin infection, smokers unwilling to quit (fat survival depends on blood supply), patients with unstable weight (grafted fat gains and loses with you), or those wanting the precise, fully reversible effect of a manufactured filler.
What can it achieve?
Surviving fat behaves like fat: it lasts years, integrates, and moves naturally. But survival is variable — commonly around half the injected volume, better in some areas and worse in others — so exact final volume cannot be promised. It cannot lift tissue, tighten skin, or correct bone structure.
What is recovery like?
Expect two weeks of visible swelling and some bruising at both donor and grafted areas; the face can look overfilled for the first weeks. Patients are asked not to judge or massage during this period. Donor-site soreness settles in days. Final volume is judged at three to six months.
What are the risks?
Resorption requiring touch-up; overfilling, which looks puffy and is much harder to treat than under-filling; oil cysts or calcification from fat that did not take; infection; and very rarely fat embolism. Touch-up sessions are planned at intervals, not stacked.
When should a medical review happen?
- A grafted area becomes red, hot, painful, or swollen well after the procedure.
- A persistent lump grows, firms, or becomes tender.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or an active malignancy history — discuss before elective grafting.
Sources
Internal links
Frequently asked questions
How much of the injected fat actually survives?
Survival is variable, commonly on the order of half the injected volume, better in some areas and worse in others, so exact final volume cannot be promised. Overcorrection at the first session is deliberately mild, and a planned touch-up months later is normal practice, not a failure.
Who is not a good candidate for fat grafting?
Active skin infection, smokers unwilling to quit because fat survival depends on blood supply, patients with unstable weight because grafted fat gains and loses weight with you, very lean patients with nothing sensible to harvest, and anyone wanting the precise, fully reversible effect of a manufactured filler.
What does fat grafting not do for an aging face?
Faces age by descending, losing volume, and degrading in skin quality. Fat grafting treats volume only. It does not lift descended tissue and does not resurface skin, which is why it is often one component of a plan rather than the whole answer.
Risks & Limitations
- Bruising and swelling lasting weeks; after bone surgery, months pass before the final result is visible.
- Scars are permanent. They mature and fade over 6–12 months but never disappear.
- Numbness or altered sensation, which may be temporary or, after bone or nerve work, lasting.
- Asymmetry, under-correction or over-correction; final assessment is made at 6–12 months.
- Infection, bleeding or haematoma, which may need drainage or antibiotics.
- Breathing changes after nasal surgery, which may be temporary or require further treatment.
- Revision surgery carries higher risk and is less predictable than a first operation.
When to Seek Care
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath — seek emergency care immediately.
- Rapidly expanding swelling, or a tense, painful, tight area.
- Fever above 38 °C, spreading redness, warmth or pus.
- Bleeding that does not stop with gentle pressure.
- Any sudden change in vision after facial surgery or a facial injection.
References & Further Reading
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) — procedure and safety guidance
- International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS)
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, UK) — relevant guidance
- Cochrane Library — systematic reviews in facial plastic surgery
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and it does not cite individual studies. Discuss your own case with a qualified clinician. To arrange an assessment at Chongqing West District Hospital, see Contact & Consultation.