Fat grafting for facial rejuvenation: Quick facts and trivia

Facial fat grafting sounds rather intimidating, but it’s actually a common surgical procedure that uses the patient’s own fat to fill in irregularities and grooves in the face. Renowned facial plastic surgeon Dean Toriumi, M.D. reviews facial fat grafting and its benefits in this blog.

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Volume loss of the face is experienced by many men and women, and it can be especially pronounced in the areas around the eyes, cheeks, and jawline. As early as 1893, free-fat autografts were already used for filling a soft tissue defect. Facial fat grafting, also known as lipofilling, is a solution to achieve a balanced and comprehensive rejuvenation for the face, seeking to reverse aging and restore the face’s youthful appearance.

Specific aesthetic concerns that can make you a candidate for facial fat grafting include sunken cheeks, disappearing fat from the cheekbones, and deep grooves that run from the nose to the corners of the mouth. Sometimes, too, the procedure is used for lip enhancement and filling the deep grooves spanning the nose and mouth corners.

If you wonder how risky the procedure is, then know that it’s a minimally invasive procedure that involves removing unwanted fat from a specific area. For example, the surgeon will gather fat from the abdomen and afterwards inject the purified fat into the patient’s face. It entails no scarring, downtime, or need to stay overnight at the clinic or hospital. It’s done with a local anesthetic and usually only about an hour, Dr. Dean Toriumi added.






Dean Toriumi, M.D. is a facial plastic surgeon based in Chicago, specializing in rhinoplasty, facial liposuction, laser skin resurfacing, eye tucks, and brow lifts. He has received stellar reviews for his services. Learn more about his practice on this page.