Facial Fat Transfer in Sarasota and Tampa

Over time, facial volume changes. We begin to lose it, and it also naturally falls downward over time — both in the mid-face and at the jawline. This leads to the gradual development of jowling and folds of skin around the nose and mouth. Dermal fillers may help, but for those who want a more permanent solution, facial fat transfer is an excellent option.

Key benefits of facial fat transfer

Long-lasting results
Natural-looking results
No risk of allergic reaction
Youthful volume is restored
Improved skin texture/tone
Wrinkles are reduced
Removes fat from donor area

What is fat transfer?

Facial fat transfer is a surgical procedure in which fat is removed from another area of the body to provide volume where it is needed in the face.

The taken fat is purified and injected into the face in order to plump up folds, wrinkles, and lines, as well as deliver youthful volume to areas such as the temples, tear troughs, cheeks, lips, and soft tissues around the mouth.

Before & After

How facial fat transfer works

Facial fat transfer replaces and/or enhances the existing structural framework that supports the skin soft tissue envelope of the face. Fat tissue is delicate, and the fat cells can be damaged as fat is removed from the abdomen or other body areas — or during re-injection into areas of volume loss in the face.

The damaged fat cells will dissolve and be removed by the body. After the fat cells are injected into the needed area, the remaining undamaged fat cells must obtain enough oxygen to be sustained. Those that do not will also dissolve and will be removed by the body. Therefore, the goal with facial fat transfer is to use enough fat in each area to have a substantial improvement after the body clears the damaged and oxygen-deprived fat cells. We use state-of-the-art fat harvesting, purification, and injection techniques to increase survival of the injected fat cells.

Facial fat grafting procedure details

Facial fat transfer requires liposuction as the first step. This may be performed under either local or general anesthesia. For liposuction, small incisions will be made near the donor site so that the cannula can remove the fat. Once the fat has been harvested from the donor site, it will be purified and placed within a syringe so that it can be injected into the areas where it’s needed. The liposuction incisions will be sutured and dressed, and the injections will be administered.

Recovery and results

Most patients develop swelling 3 or 4 days after the procedure, and then it gradually begins to subside. Most of the swelling will resolve within 7 to 14 days, but mild swelling may be present for up to one month.

Some patients develop bruising at the donor and/or recipient site(s). We advise patients to discontinue any medications or supplements that may promote bleeding, such as vitamin E, fish oil, aspirin, etc. While facial fat transfer results can last for years, touch-up procedures are sometimes necessary.

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Candidates for facial fat transfer

If you’re in the Sarasota and Tampa area and you’re interested in facial fat transfer, it may be the perfect procedure for you. Candidates for facial fat transfer are individuals with facial volume loss in one or more areas such as the temples, tear troughs, cheeks, areas around the mouth, jawline, and lips, and who have enough extra fat elsewhere on the body to harvest.

Combining facial fat transfer with other procedures

Facial fat transfer may be a stand-alone procedure for many patients, but it’s also frequently combined with other procedures.

Combining facial fat transfer with other procedures often enables us to address other problems such as a heavier smile fold, jowling, skin aging, and skin laxity in one convenient procedure so that the results are enhanced.

Procedures that can be combined with facial fat transfer include:

Laser assisted facial contouring (LAFC, also known as AccuLift™)
Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing (eCO2)
Facelift
All of these

Adivive fat transfer: A natural filler for natural results

As we get older, fatty tissue tends to migrate downward in the face, often leading to a hollow appearance of the under-eye area, along with flattening and deflation of the mid-face and deepening of the folds near the mouth.

Adivive™ fat transfer is a revolutionary procedure designed to maximize fat removal during harvest and transfer to enable safe and reliable restoration of facial features with a healthy shape and contour.

Facial fat transfer in Sarasota and Tampa from HK Plastic Surgery

In 2014, Dr. Holcomb and Dr. Kreithen brought their practices together to establish an in-depth plastic surgery and medical spa offering the most advanced procedures. With nearly 40 years of experience between them, Doctors Holcomb and Dr. Kreithen now provide an extremely sophisticated, comprehensive practice with very competent and compassionate team — a one-stop-shop for aesthetic needs of all kinds. We provide the very best in customer support, white-glove service, accessibly to many different procedures and therapies, and multiple locations to conveniently serve all our patients. If you’re in the Sarasota and Tampa area and you’re interested in facial fat transfer or you’d like to learn more about Adivive, please contact us.

Fat Transfer