Schedule Now

Facial Fat Grafting

In Washington D.C. &. Maryland

Facial Fat Grafting, also known as Fat Transfer or Fat Injection, is a revolutionary cosmetic procedure that involves the careful harvesting of excess fat from your abdomen or thighs and strategically injecting it into specific areas of your face to restore volume, improve contours, and rejuvenate your overall appearance.

This section explains how fat grafting is used as a facial enhancement procedure, offering personalized care and aesthetic benefits by naturally restoring facial harmony and skin texture.

The procedure uses your own fat cells as a natural filler, providing long-lasting and natural-looking results.

By addressing lost facial volume, facial fat grafting helps achieve a more youthful appearance and can also improve the quality and appearance of facial skin.

Jump to:
  1. Gallery
  2. Candidates
  3. Preparation
  4. Gallery
  5. Recovery
  6. Cost

Introduction to Facial Rejuvenation

Facial rejuvenation is all about restoring a youthful, refreshed look to your face, helping you feel more confident in your natural beauty. One of the most effective and natural methods for facial rejuvenation is facial fat transfer, also known as fat grafting. This innovative procedure uses your own fat to restore lost volume in areas such as the cheeks, under the eyes, and lips, which often lose fullness over time. In addition to restoring volume and texture, facial fat transfer can also improve skin tone, leading to a more even and youthful appearance. 

By carefully transferring fat from one part of your body to your face, facial fat transfer can address concerns like sunken cheeks and hollow eyes, resulting in natural looking results that enhance your overall facial appearance. Many patients choose facial fat grafting because it not only rejuvenates the face but also uses your body’s own resources, making it a safe and effective way to achieve long-lasting facial rejuvenation. Stem cells present in the transferred fat may also contribute to improved skin texture and overall facial rejuvenation.

What is Facial Fat Grafting?

Facial Fat Grafting can address a variety of concerns, including sunken cheeks, hollow under-eye areas, thin lips, and deep facial lines. By utilizing your body’s natural “resources”, this procedure offers long-lasting and natural-looking results.

In the procedure, Dr. Wilmina N. Landford takes living fat cells collected from suitable donor sites—areas of your body that have plenty of excess fat, such as the abdominal region, thighs, or flanks, which can benefit from being slimmer. Donor sites are carefully assessed to ensure the best outcome. Dr. Landford and her highly skilled team use Liposuction to preserve the integrity of your fat cells. The harvested fat is then carefully processed and purified to remove impurities and contaminants, ensuring only healthy fat cells are used for transfer. The purified fat is then strategically injected into the areas of your face that need the treatment.

Once placed in the target area, the cells develop a new home, reconnecting to the blood supply and providing long-lasting value. Results offer a natural appearance, enhance facial features, and create a fuller, youthful, and natural face.

Who is a Good Candidate for Facial Fat Grafting?

Fat grafting ideal candidates typically have sufficient donor fat, are in good overall health, and have realistic expectations for the outcome. Good candidates are those who are in good health, have enough excess fat for the procedure, and understand what results are achievable.

Through her experience, Dr. Landford has helped patients in the Maryland and Washington, DC areas achieve more volume in their faces with facial fat grafting. Our team believes a good candidate should be:

  • Have a positive outlook and realistic goals from the procedure
  • In overall good health
  • Looking to have a natural rejuvenation, helping to enhance your appearance
  • The best candidates have good skin elasticity

You may also be a great candidate for this procedure if you are trying to fix the following issues:

  • Atrophied chin
  • Sunken lower eyelids and eye bags
  • Narrow jawline
  • Pre-jowl hollowing
  • Sunken cheeks
  • Temporal hollowness
  • Thin lips
  • Upper eyelid hollowness

Individuals who have experienced volume loss or lose volume due to aging or weight loss may benefit from this procedure, as facial fat grafting can restore lost volume and rejuvenate facial contours. While facial fat grafting restores lost volume, it is important to note that some fat loss may occur after the procedure, which is a normal part of the process.

How Much Does Facial Fat Grafting Cost in Washington, DC & Maryland?

The cost of Facial Fat Grafting in Washington, DC & Maryland will depend on multiple factors, including where the fat is taken from and how much is needed to match your desired aesthetic. After meeting with Dr. Landford and creating your procedure plan, our Patient Coordinator will be able to provide you with a breakdown of the entire cost of your surgery.

What Should I Expect During a Consultation for Facial Fat Grafting?

If you are interested in a Facial Fat Grafting procedure, the first step is to contact our office nearest you and schedule a consultation with Dr. Wilmina Landford. Patients interested in facial fat grafting are encouraged to schedule a consultation to discuss their goals and options. During this appointment, she will go over your medical history, answer any questions you may have regarding the surgery, and examine your face and body. Dr. Landford will assess suitable donor sites such as the abdomen, thighs, or flanks, choosing donor sites based on the availability of excess fat. The consultation includes planning for fat harvesting and discussing how the fat harvested will be used to enhance your results. If relevant to your goals, reconstructive surgery or body contouring may also be discussed. Dr. Landford will evaluate your facial features to ensure a natural and harmonious result. Once she has a better understanding of how to help you achieve your goals from the procedure, Dr. Landford will create a surgical plan that is best for you.

When you agree with the plan, you will be able to schedule your surgical date with our Patient Coordinator, who will also provide you with certain directions to follow before your surgery. Please be open and honest when discussing your medical history with Dr. Landford, as it allows her to make informed decisions and prevent unnecessary risks.

How Do I Prepare for Facial Fat Grafting?

Even though Fat Grafting is a relatively simple procedure, we will provide you with some basic instructions and tips on how to achieve the best results from your surgery. Below, we have listed some of the more common directions our patients will be given.

  • Find a responsible adult to drive you home from surgery, as well as someone who can stay with you around the clock on the first day after surgery.
  • Make sure any requested labs and/or doctor’s clearance are delivered to your nearest Landford Plastic Surgery office on time.
  • Purchase any medications prescribed to you. you
  • Quit smoking and nicotine use at least four weeks before surgery, as nicotine can impair and delay healing. This includes any nicotine patch or nicotine-containing product.
  • Schedule time off work (approximately one to two weeks)
  • Stop all aspirin-containing products, medications that contain blood thinners (Ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, etc.), vitamin E, and herbal supplements two weeks before surgery.

Facial Fat Grafting Risks & Safety

Dr. Landford and her team strive to avoid risks at all costs; however, some of the potential dangers and risks associated with Fat Grafting can include, but are not limited to:

  • Asymmetry
  • Allergic reactions
  • Bleeding and bruising
  • Changes in sensation
  • Cyst formation
  • Fat necrosis
  • Infection
  • Overcorrection or undercorrection

We take your recovery and health very seriously, so while most of these reactions are either extremely rare or will heal on their own, if you have any concerning or long-lasting complications, please contact your nearest Landford Plastic Surgery office.

What Are the Steps of Facial Fat Grafting?

On the day of your Facial Fat Grafting in Washington, D.C., or Maryland, the fat transfer procedure begins by administering local anesthesia to numb both the area from which we’re removing the fat and the areas where it will be placed in your face. In some cases, larger volumes of fat are required, which may require general anesthesia or local anesthesia combined with sedation to ensure your comfort throughout this surgical procedure. Although facial fat grafting is a surgical procedure, it is considered a minimally invasive procedure compared to traditional surgery.

Facial fat grafting can also be combined with other facial procedures for comprehensive rejuvenation. A neck lift is another surgical option that can be performed alongside facial fat grafting to enhance overall results.

Dr. Landford will then make discreet incisions at the donor site to remove an appropriate amount of fat via Liposuction. Once enough fat cells have been collected, they will be purified to obtain purified fat and put into a syringe. During the fat transfer treatment, the fat transferred is carefully injected into your face to create fat grafts that restore facial volume and achieve your desired appearance.

Body Contouring Benefits of Fat Harvesting

One of the unique advantages of facial fat grafting is the body contouring benefit that comes from the fat harvesting process. During a fat transfer procedure, excess fat is gently removed from donor sites such as the abdomen or inner thighs—areas where many patients would like to see a slimmer, more contoured appearance. This not only helps sculpt and tone these regions, but also provides the healthy fat cells needed to restore lost facial volume and rejuvenate your facial features.

By using your own fat cells, facial fat grafting offers a natural alternative to synthetic dermal fillers, significantly reducing the risk of allergic reactions and ensuring a seamless integration with your facial tissues. The fat transfer procedure allows for precise enhancement of areas that have lost volume due to aging or weight loss, such as the cheeks, lips, and under-eye hollows, resulting in a more youthful facial appearance and improved skin texture.

Ideal candidates for fat grafting are those who have enough excess fat in suitable donor sites and are seeking a long-lasting, natural-looking solution for facial rejuvenation. The fat transfer treatment is typically performed under local anesthesia, which minimizes discomfort and allows most patients to return to their normal activities relatively quickly. Mild discomfort, swelling, or bruising at both the donor and recipient sites is common during the recovery process, but these effects are temporary and can be managed with pain medication and proper aftercare.

As the body adjusts to the transferred fat, some initial fullness may subside, revealing a beautifully refreshed and natural appearance that can last for years. The dual benefit of slimming donor sites while enhancing facial contours makes fat transfer procedures a popular choice for those looking to improve both their facial appearance and overall body contour. By working with a plastic surgeon who is experienced in fat grafting, you can achieve natural-looking results that highlight your unique beauty and restore your youthful facial structure.

Facial Fat Grafting Recovery

After your Facial Fat Grafting procedure, we will monitor you in our recovery room until you come out of sedation and Dr. Landford releases you to go home that same day. The initial appearance of the treated areas may include swelling or fullness, which is normal and will gradually subside as healing progresses. You can expect some swelling, bruising, and mild discomfort in both the donor and recipient areas, which will gradually subside over time. It’s very important to take proper care during the recovery process to optimize your results.

Dr. Landford will provide you with specific instructions on how to care for your incisions, manage any discomfort, and promote better healing. The recovery process includes steps such as avoiding pressure or trauma to the treated areas, keeping the head elevated, and following a personalized care plan to maintain the viability of the transplanted fat cells. You will need to limit yourself to certain strenuous activities and avoid excessive sun exposure during the initial healing phase. Most patients are able to resume their normal activities within one to two weeks. The full recovery period can vary from patient to patient, but most individuals can resume their regular activities within a few weeks.

Maintaining Results After Facial Fat Grafting

To enjoy the full benefits of your facial fat grafting procedure, it’s important to take steps that help maintain your results over time. Fat grafting results can be long-lasting, but some patients may require touch-up treatments to maintain optimal outcomes. Proper post-operative care is essential—this includes following your surgeon’s instructions closely, taking any prescribed pain medication as directed, and using cold compresses to minimize swelling. Avoiding strenuous activities during the initial recovery period will also help your facial fat settle properly. Beyond the immediate recovery, maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise can support the longevity of your fat transfer results. Attending all scheduled follow-up appointments allows your surgeon to monitor your healing and address any concerns early on. By taking these steps, you can help ensure that your facial fat grafting delivers lasting improvements to your facial appearance.

Body Contouring Benefits of Fat Harvesting

One of the unique advantages of facial fat grafting is the body contouring benefit that comes from the fat harvesting process. During a fat transfer procedure, excess fat is gently removed from donor sites such as the abdomen or inner thighs—areas where many patients would like to see a slimmer, more contoured appearance. This not only helps sculpt and tone these regions, but also provides the healthy fat cells needed to restore lost facial volume and rejuvenate your facial features.

By using your own fat cells, facial fat grafting offers a natural alternative to synthetic dermal fillers, significantly reducing the risk of allergic reactions and ensuring a seamless integration with your facial tissues. The fat transfer procedure allows for precise enhancement of areas that have lost volume due to aging or weight loss, such as the cheeks, lips, and under-eye hollows, resulting in a more youthful facial appearance and improved skin texture.

Ideal candidates for fat grafting are those who have enough excess fat in suitable donor sites and are seeking a long-lasting, natural-looking solution for facial rejuvenation. The fat transfer treatment is typically performed under local anesthesia, which minimizes discomfort and allows most patients to return to their normal activities relatively quickly. Mild discomfort, swelling, or bruising at both the donor and recipient sites is common during the recovery process, but these effects are temporary and can be managed with pain medication and proper aftercare.

As the body adjusts to the transferred fat, some initial fullness may subside, revealing a beautifully refreshed and natural appearance that can last for years. The dual benefit of slimming donor sites while enhancing facial contours makes fat transfer procedures a popular choice for those looking to improve both their facial appearance and overall body contour. By working with a plastic surgeon who is experienced in fat grafting, you can achieve natural-looking results that highlight your unique beauty and restore your youthful facial structure.

facial-fat-grafting-recovery
tummytuck-recovery

Facial Fat Grafting Recovery

After your Facial Fat Grafting procedure, we will monitor you in our recovery room until you come out of sedation and Dr. Landford releases you to go home that same day. The initial appearance of the treated areas may include swelling or fullness, which is normal and will gradually subside as healing progresses. You can expect some swelling, bruising, and mild discomfort in both the donor and recipient areas, which will gradually subside over time. It’s very important to take proper care during the recovery process to optimize your results.

Dr. Landford will provide you with specific instructions on how to care for your incisions, manage any discomfort, and promote better healing. The recovery process includes steps such as avoiding pressure or trauma to the treated areas, keeping the head elevated, and following a personalized care plan to maintain the viability of the transplanted fat cells. You will need to limit yourself to certain strenuous activities and avoid excessive sun exposure during the initial healing phase. Most patients are able to resume their normal activities within one to two weeks. The full recovery period can vary from patient to patient, but most individuals can resume their regular activities within a few weeks.

Maintaining Results After Facial Fat Grafting

To enjoy the full benefits of your facial fat grafting procedure, it’s important to take steps that help maintain your results over time. Fat grafting results can be long-lasting, but some patients may require touch-up treatments to maintain optimal outcomes. Proper post-operative care is essential—this includes following your surgeon’s instructions closely, taking any prescribed pain medication as directed, and using cold compresses to minimize swelling. Avoiding strenuous activities during the initial recovery period will also help your facial fat settle properly. Beyond the immediate recovery, maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise can support the longevity of your fat transfer results. Attending all scheduled follow-up appointments allows your surgeon to monitor your healing and address any concerns early on. By taking these steps, you can help ensure that your facial fat grafting delivers lasting improvements to your facial appearance.

Woman looking forward with her hand up to her chin

Choosing a Surgeon for Facial Fat Grafting

Selecting the right surgeon is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when considering facial fat grafting. For optimal results, seek a plastic surgeon with extensive experience in fat transfer procedures and facial fat grafting. Take the time to research your surgeon’s credentials, read patient reviews, and review before-and-after photos to get a sense of their expertise and aesthetic style. A personal consultation is also invaluable—it gives you the opportunity to discuss your goals, ask questions, and determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure. An experienced and skilled surgeon will not only help you achieve natural-looking, long-lasting results but will also prioritize your safety and comfort throughout the fat transfer process. By choosing a qualified professional, you can feel confident in your decision and look forward to a successful facial fat grafting experience.

Why Choose Us?

Dr. Landford’s personalized approach ensures that each patient’s unique facial contours are enhanced, resulting in naturally rejuvenated results. Her dedication to staying at the forefront of innovative procedures and her genuine passion for helping patients radiate confidence make her the ultimate partner for your facial fat grafting experience.

Schedule a Consultation

Move past artificial fillers and enjoy the perks of Facial Fat Grafting in both Washington, DC, and Maryland! Schedule your consultation with Dr. Landford today by calling our office nearest you or by requesting an appointment through our website! A friendly member of our team will be in touch with you as soon as possible to get you started on your journey to looking younger and more vibrant.

Facial Fat Grafting FAQ’s

Patient Testimonials

A Transformative Journey of Empowerment

Schedule A Consultation

Schedule Now
Schedule Now Agenda Una Consulta