Key Benefits of Fat Transfer

The biggest benefit of choosing fat transfer for augmentation is that it lets you address two concerns at once: being too big in some areas and too small in others. Since the goal of body contouring is to alter your shape, fat transfer can be an essential procedure for realizing your goals.

Another major plus of choosing fat transfer is that it is all natural. You aren’t adding any foreign objects to the body—just your very own purified fat. This all but eliminates the possibility of rejection or allergic reaction, which can be a concern with other injectable treatments.

Finally, the fat harvesting techniques must be gentle in order to reuse the fat. This means that liposuction when performed for fat transfer is often easier on the body than standard techniques, which can make this aspect of your recovery easier.

Which Areas of the Body Can Receive Fat Transfer?

There isn’t necessarily a limit on which parts of the body can receive a fat transfer. However, most people won’t be interested in adding it to, say, their chin or stomach. Some common areas to augment with fat transfer are:

• Butt
• Hips
• Breasts
• Under Eye area
• Cheeks

If you are curious about how fat transfer could help you achieve your goals, schedule a consultation with us today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I expect to pay for fat transfer?

There isn’t a set cost for fat transfer. It depends on many factors, including how much fat is removed, how much is purified, how much is injected and whether it is injected into one area or multiple areas. Expect the final cost to include the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia fee, facility/OR fee, and may include other costs as well. To get an accurate estimate for your procedure, schedule a consultation with Dr. Swetnam.

What type of anesthesia is used during fat transfer?

This depends on what areas fat is being removed from and injected into. Sometimes, all that is needed is local anesthesia. In other cases, general anesthesia or sedation is better. During your consultation, we will discuss your options and help you feel comfortable with the plan for your procedure. We always place your health at the forefront of our planning.

Does fat transfer leave a lot of scarring?

No, in fact, it leaves very minimal scarring. Very small incisions are used for the liposuction portion of the procedure, and these usually heal well enough that within a year, they aren’t really visible anymore. The fat injection itself creates very small openings, the size of which varies by injection site. However, these are pretty much invisible within months of the procedure.

What is the recovery after fat transfer like?

This varies a lot by injection area and how much fat was transferred. For example, fat transfer to the face has a very short recovery period, typically about a week before you are doing most things as normal. However, if you have fat injected into your butt, you will need to adjust many aspects of your lifestyle to accommodate healing for up to 6 weeks. Keep in mind that liposuction also has a recovery period, though it should closely overlap with the time needed to recover from the fat transfer process.

How much of the transferred fat is likely to take?

This varies between people. However, up to 70 percent of fat transferred will be flushed out by the body. So, if you feel like your post-surgery results are extreme, don’t panic; our surgeons generally will transfer extra fat to ensure that the ideal amount remains after everything settles.