Skip to main content
Menu
Gallery
Directions
Contact

Facial Fat Grafting Sacramento & Granite Bay

The face gradually loses volume due to factors like aging and sun exposure. While some people turn to dermal fillers to restore a youthful fullness to the face, they are temporary solutions that require regular maintenance. Fat grafting is a longer-lasting solution that harvests a patient’s own fat cells and reinserts them in areas where the patient is missing volume. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Scott Green endorses fat grafting as a safe and effective method for enhancing and rejuvenating the face.

Schedule a Consultation
Sacramento & Roseville (916) 929-1833
×

Call Us

Sacramento Phone

Granite Bay Phone
×

Get Directions

Sacramento Location

Granite Bay Location

FAT GRAFTING BENEFITS

FAT CAN BE USED ON MANY PARTS OF THE FACE

FAT CAN BE USED ON MANY PARTS OF THE FACE

While many patients choose to place fat in their cheeks to regain the “baby fat” they had in their younger years, others use the additional fat to fill in the bags beneath their eyes, to make their lips plumper or to augment a weak chin so that the jawline attains definition.

TWO COSMETIC PROCEDURES IN ONE

TWO COSMETIC PROCEDURES IN ONE

Fat grafting achieves two positive cosmetic outcomes simultaneously. In addition to restoring fullness to the face, it also provides patients with a chance to tone and recontour a separate problem area on their bodies.

NATURAL RESULTS

NATURAL RESULTS

Patients like using their own fat cells to restore volume to the face because the fat looks and feels more natural than other options like filler or silicone implants.

FAT GRAFTING PROCEDURE DETAILS

Dr. Green customizes each facial fat transfer to the specific requests of the patient. With precise technique and an artistic eye, he creates natural and attractive contours for both the face and the area from which the fat is borrowed. Fat grafting has three main components: harvesting, purifying and injecting.

HARVESTING FAT

To begin, Dr. Green performs liposuction on a part of the body that has excess fat pockets such as the thighs, abdomen, flanks or buttocks. He uses a cannula, or thin tube, to suction out the fat cells from tiny incisions in the body. He also reshapes the remaining fat into an appealing shape.

PURIFYING FAT

Once the fat has been collected with liposuction, Dr. Green uses a centrifuge purification process to ensure only healthy, sanitary fat cells are transferred to the face. Filtering the fat allows him to remove damaged cells and excess fluids. This makes the transfer safer and ultimately improves its success rate.

INJECTING FAT

Finally, Dr. Green implants the purified fat cells with a syringe into the face through miniature incision points. These fat cells are easy to mold, allowing him to create an appealing, youthful facial shape.

FAT GRAFTING RECOVERY AND RESULTS

While recovery from facial fat grafting is less intense than other forms of plastic surgery, most patients still take one to two weeks off from work to prioritize rest and allow the swelling and bruising to subside.

Not all fat cells survive the transfer process, so patients should wait several months to assess the final results. Fortunately, most of the fat does survive because the body recognizes its own cells, allowing them to be absorbed and thrive in the face.

FAT GRAFTING COSTS

The price of facial fat grafting ultimately depends on the amount of fat being transferred and the areas where fat is extracted from and transferred to. Dr. Green can discuss total costs (include anesthesia and facility fees) during a consultation after learning the patient’s expectations. Because fat transfer is an elective procedure, it is not covered by insurance plans, though Dr. Green’s office does accept financing options through M-Lend Financial Services and CareCredit.

Schedule a Consultation
Plastic Surgeon Dr. Scott Green in Sacramento & Granite Bay

The Art of Plastic Surgery

Surgical skill can be learned, but surgical artistry is something a person must be born with. Dr. Scott Green has the inherent aesthetic and anatomical understanding necessary to deliver results of utmost transcendence to all of his patients. By applying his irrefutable grasp of beauty and state-of-the-art surgical techniques, Dr. Green sculpts his patients’ contours for the most dazzling and customized outcome.

“Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” – Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni

View Before & After Photos     Schedule a Consultation

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How long does facial fat transfer last?

    Fat Transfer in SacramentoFacial fat transfer typically achieves long-lasting results, although it cannot stop the aging process altogether. Eventually fat breaks down and droops as your muscles weaken and skin gets thinner. Dr. Green recommends maintaining a steady weight after having facial fat transfer, since a significant shift in weight (up or down) will change the size of your fat cells.

  • Is fat transfer a better facial contouring procedure than implants?

    Facial implants and fat grafting are both successful ways to restore youthful volume to your face. Many patients prefer fat transfer because they like the idea of using their own fat cells to achieve this change rather than a synthetic (usually silicone) implant. Patients usually report that the results look and feel more natural, as well.

  • Where is fat harvested from with fat grafting?

    Fat is taken from an area of your body where you have an excess of fat cells. Many patients choose the abdomen, hips, or thighs since fat tends to be more plentiful in those areas. Other potential areas include the upper arms, back, chin, neck, chest, buttocks, and ankles. Because it does not take a lot of fat cells to recontour features on your face (and since fat can be harvested from multiple areas), you do not need to be overweight to harvest fat.

  • What if I have a low body fat percentage?

    During a consultation, Dr. Green will examine your body to ensure that you are a good candidate for fat grafting. If he has concerns that you may not have enough fat cells to transfer, he may suggest another procedure like facial implants to fulfill your cosmetic goals.

  • Is it possible to combine facial fat grafting with another procedure?

    Facial fat transfer already combines multiple types of plastic surgery since it involves performing liposuction on other areas of the body. Other complementary procedures that patients frequently choose to add include facial rejuvenation surgeries such as facelift, eyelid surgery, brow lift, and neck lift. Dr. Green will assess your candidacy for any complementary procedures you express interest in during your consultation.

  • Can fat grafting be used to treat under-eye bags?

    Dark circles and bags under the eyes are a common cosmetic concern because they make the face look older and perpetually tired. Fat transfer is a successful way to fill in the hollows to achieve smoother, more vibrant undereye skin. Choosing a skilled plastic surgeon like Dr. Green for this treatment is extra important since this area is particularly delicate.

  • Are there non-surgical alternatives to facial fat transfer?

    Facial Fat Grafting in the Bay AreaOne way to add volume to your face is with dermal fillers. Injections like Juvéderm and Restylane use hyaluronic acid to hold moisture in the skin and effectively plump features like your cheeks or lips, minimizing lines and wrinkles in the process. Radiesse has similar benefits, except it uses calcium hydroxylapatite instead of hyaluronic acid. Dermal filler treatments require no downtime, although the results are temporary (generally six to 18 months) whereas the results from facial fat transfer can last indefinitely.