Cheeks & midface
Selected concerns involving reduced cheek or midfacial volume may be considered for fat transfer. Assessment distinguishes volume loss from tissue descent and skeletal characteristics.
Facial Fat Grafting
Facial fat grafting uses a patient's own fat to restore or refine volume in selected areas of the face. The plan considers facial anatomy, tissue quality, the amount of volume needed, and individual goals. Fat transfer may be performed alone or alongside another procedure when clinically appropriate.
Understand Fat GraftingUnderstanding fat grafting
Restoring volume, not simply adding fullness.
Changes in facial volume may result from ageing, individual anatomy, previous procedures, or other factors. Loss of volume, tissue descent, and skin laxity can occur together but require different considerations.
Fat grafting involves removing fat from a suitable donor area, preparing it, and transferring small amounts into selected facial tissues. The aim may be to restore volume or refine contour while respecting the patient's existing facial proportions.
Fat grafting does not replace a facelift when tissue descent is the principal concern. It cannot guarantee a particular appearance or permanently prevent further changes in the face. Some transferred fat may be reabsorbed, and the amount retained varies between patients and treatment areas.
Who may benefit
Is fat grafting appropriate for your concerns?
Suitability depends on the cause of the concern, available donor fat, medical history, and whether volume restoration is likely to provide a worthwhile benefit. Age alone does not determine suitability.
Facial contour & proportion
Fat may be used to refine selected contour deficiencies or asymmetries when appropriate. The amount and placement depend on anatomy, tissue characteristics, and the desired degree of change.
After previous treatment
Selected patients may seek assessment of volume changes after previous procedures or other causes. Scar tissue, existing implants or fillers, and previous operative history may affect planning and suitability.
Not every hollow or contour concern is best treated with fat. Some patients may benefit from another approach, while others may reasonably choose no treatment. Adequate donor fat and realistic expectations are important considerations.
Individual surgical planning
The plan begins with your anatomy.
Assessment considers the distribution of facial volume, skin and soft-tissue quality, tissue position, underlying skeletal proportions, previous treatments, and the patient's medical history. The surgeon also assesses potential donor areas and the amount of fat that may reasonably be required.
The discussion includes the intended treatment areas, expected degree of correction, donor-site implications, anaesthesia, recovery, and the possibility of variable fat retention. More volume is not necessarily a better result, and the plan should avoid unnecessary overcorrection.
Fat grafting and facial lifting
Volume restoration and tissue repositioning address different anatomical problems. Fat grafting may be considered alongside facelift or neck surgery when indicated, but combined treatment is not automatically necessary. The need for lifting, volume restoration, or neither is assessed individually.
Previous fillers and facial procedures
Previous filler injections, fat grafting, or surgery may influence the assessment. Patients should provide relevant treatment details when available. The presence of existing material or scar tissue may affect the proposed approach, and further treatment may not always be appropriate.
Surgical approach
Understanding the fat transfer process.
The details of harvesting, preparation, and placement are selected according to the patient's anatomy and the treatment plan. No single technique or processing method can guarantee fat survival or a particular result.
Fat harvesting
Fat is obtained from a suitable donor area using a liposuction technique. Donor-site selection depends on available tissue, the amount needed, and individual considerations. Harvesting creates its own recovery and potential contour or scarring issues.
Preparation & transfer
Harvested fat is prepared before transfer. Small amounts are placed into selected tissue planes according to the surgical plan. The technique, volume, and depth of placement are important anatomical and safety considerations.
Volume retention
Transferred fat requires an adequate blood supply to survive. Some fat may be reabsorbed, while retained fat may persist and change with weight or ageing. The amount retained is variable, and additional treatment may sometimes be considered.
The proposed technique, treatment areas, and realistic volume goals are discussed after assessment. This overview does not establish a fixed amount of fat or a guaranteed retention percentage.
Recovery & preparation
Planning for recovery.
Recovery varies with the amount transferred, donor areas, individual healing, and whether procedures are combined. Swelling, bruising, tenderness, and temporary changes in sensation may occur in both the face and donor areas. Early swelling can make the face appear fuller than the eventual result.
The surgical team will provide individual instructions about wound care, medications, activity, sleeping position, and follow-up. Patients should allow time away from strenuous activities and arrange appropriate support when needed. The timing of return to work and social activities varies.
Swelling often improves over the first several weeks, but residual changes and the process of fat retention may take months to become clearer. An early postoperative appearance should not be regarded as the final result. A precise final volume or recovery date cannot be guaranteed.
Before surgery
Preparation includes review of medical conditions, medications and supplements, bleeding risks, nicotine use, previous procedures, and suitability for anaesthesia. Do not stop prescribed medication without guidance from the treating clinician. The surgical team will provide specific instructions.
When to seek urgent advice
Severe or escalating pain, rapidly increasing swelling, significant bleeding, fever with concerning wound changes, or other unexpected symptoms require prompt medical assessment. Sudden visual disturbance, loss of vision, breathing difficulty, or neurological symptoms require emergency medical care. Follow the surgical team's emergency instructions rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
Safety & limitations
Understanding the risks and trade-offs.
Fat grafting is a surgical procedure with potential complications. Risks depend on the treatment areas, anatomy, surgical technique, health, and previous procedures. Individual risks and reasonable alternatives should be discussed before surgery.
General & donor-site risks
Potential complications include bleeding, infection, wound-healing problems, anaesthesia-related complications, donor-site discomfort, scarring, contour irregularities, and changes in sensation.
Fat-related changes
Variable fat resorption, asymmetry, undercorrection or overcorrection, irregularities, fat necrosis, oil cysts, calcification, and persistent swelling may occur. Some changes may require further assessment or treatment.
Rare serious complications
Inadvertent intravascular injection may cause vascular obstruction, tissue injury, visual loss or blindness, or stroke. These complications are rare but potentially devastating. Careful anatomical planning and appropriate surgical technique are essential; risk cannot be eliminated.
Further grafting or revision may sometimes be considered, but improvement cannot be guaranteed and additional surgery carries its own risks. Choosing not to proceed is a reasonable outcome of an informed consultation.
Patient results
Results in clinical context.
Before-and-after photographs can help illustrate the concerns addressed through facial fat grafting. Each case should be considered alongside the patient's starting anatomy, treatment areas, procedure, and follow-up period. Individual results vary, and photographs cannot predict an individual outcome.
View Patient ResultsFeatured fat grafting case
BeforeImage pending
AfterImage pending
Clinical photographs and case details will be added here. Procedure · Treatment areas · Follow-up
Related pathways
Explore related treatment options.
Facial concerns may involve volume changes, tissue descent, or neck anatomy. These pathways provide additional context without implying that combined surgery is necessary.
Surgeon-led care
A considered approach to facial fat grafting.
Dr. Joe Areejunthawat is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Bangkok. His approach begins with understanding the patient's concerns, evaluating the anatomy, and discussing which treatment options may be appropriate.
The discussion includes potential benefits, limitations, risks, and recovery, with an emphasis on selecting an approach appropriate to the individual rather than applying the same technique to every patient.
About Dr. JoeYour consultation
Considering facial fat grafting?
A consultation provides an opportunity to discuss your concerns, review relevant medical and surgical history, and assess which treatment options may be appropriate. You do not need to decide on a surgical technique or amount of fat before contacting Dr. Joe. The aim is to support an informed decision, including whether surgery is appropriate for you.