Fat Transfer Benefits: Natural Beauty Enhancement
What is Facial Fat Transfer?
Fat transfer, or fat injection, is a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure that can soften or eliminate the appearance of wrinkles and folds in the face. During the cosmetic procedure, body fat is removed from other areas of the body like the abdomen and is then reinjected into the skin beneath the fold where it acts as a skin volume filler. The result is a much more youthful, rejuvenated appearance.
Fat transfer may also be used to add fullness to the lips. The results of fat transfer are somewhat variable but up to 70% of the volume is virtually permanent!
Get your glow back! INCISIONLESS, Natural Volume Restoration, add fullness using your body’s own living tissue!
Dr. Donath is pleased to be the exclusive plastic surgeon in the Tristate area to have been personally trained by the pioneers of complementary fat grafting. After reading the basics of the fat transfer procedure below, you may wish to read excerpts from
Dr. Donath’s landmark article on state-of-the-art facial rejuvenation.
Fat transfer procedure provides a better value than synthetic fillers, which must typically be re-injected each year to maintain the effect.
Individuals who are looking to gain or restore a healthy, youthful glow in the face that cannot be achieved with traditional facial procedures are excellent candidates for fat transfer. As with other cosmetic procedures, patients should be healthy.
The Fat Transfer Procedure
While the procedure can be done under local anesthesia, we recommend sedation for maximum comfort throughout the procedure. During the procedure, the fatty tissue is removed from the donor areas of the body with methods similar to liposuction, but with an emphasis on preserving the live fat cells. The removed fat is prepared and then re-injected into the recipient site. Recovery is variable, with modest swelling and bruising that diminishes after 10-14 days, and very little to no pain.
I am so pleased with the surgeon that performed my lower bleph and fat transfer. Do a thorough check on any doctor you are considering and do NOT let cost be a significant factor in choosing a Doctor and remember ” you get what you pay for” and you are talking about your face!! His staff is incredibly kind and welcoming . He truly cares about your concerns and more importantly your end result as much as you do! He will be the only PS ever operating on me. Thank you Dr. Donath for giving me back my self esteem! For 20 yrs I hid behind my glasses in embarrassment hoping no one would see my eye bags and now I can remove the glasses, look people in the eye and feel good about myself again, that is priceless!
Facial Fat Transfer Before & Afters
*Each patient is unique and individual results may vary.
Why choose Dr. Donath — Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
- Graduated summa cum laude from Ohio University where he was a scholarship recipient and was inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa national honor society.
- He then completed medical school at the University of Cincinnati, widely recognized as one of the top medical centers in the country, where he was President of the school’s American Medical Student Association.
- Completing a rigorous five-year residency training program in all aspects of Head and Neck plastic surgery at St. Louis University.
- He additionally spent time studying at Harvard Medical School.
- Has been nominated as a Top Doctor in Cincinnati Magazine and by Castle Connolly for many consecutive years.
- Is a national trainer of other physicians for both Galderma (Dysport®, Restylane®) and Allergan (Botox®, Juvederm®), and is a frequent guest on multiple media outlets to present the public with the most recent facial aesthetic techniques.
Fat Transfer FAQs
What is fat transfer?
Fat transfer, also known as fat injection, is a cosmetic procedure in which fat is removed from one area of the body (usually the waist, abdomen, or legs) and then reinjected into very specific areas of the face in order to restore the volume that gives the youthful glow that all of us lose with age or with athletic activity. Also, some individuals have a naturally gaunt or thin face, with little definition, and fat transfer can greatly improve the contours and balance of the face in these patients. While this youthful, healthy glow can also be restored with injectable fillers, the advantages of using fat are that it is your own tissue, which eliminates the chance of an allergic reaction, and that it lasts for many years, if not permanently, as opposed to fillers which typically last one year or less.
I already had a facelift – why would I need a fat transfer?
While facelifts are excellent procedures for removing excess skin and redraping the facial soft tissue, they do nothing to replace the volume of soft tissue and bone that we all lose with age. The primary benefit of a facelift is along the jawline and in the neck. Fat transfer addresses not only the jawline, but the cheeks, around the eyes, and the temples, giving a truly rejuvenated appearance which is much more natural-appearing than a facelift alone.
Is fat transfer right for me?
If you are looking to gain or restore the healthy glow of youth, then fat transfer may be right for you. Dr. Donath is happy to meet with you for a consultation to show you what results you can expect from a fat transfer and help you decide if the fat transfer can address your needs.
What happens at the consultation for fat transfer?
During the consultation for fat transfer, Dr. Donath will meet with you to examine your face, discuss your goals, and take a thorough medical history (if you would like to save time, you can even fill out your medical history form from this website and bring it in with you for your visit). He will weigh other factors like age, facial structure, and skin type in determining if fat transfer is right for you. The technique, anesthesia, risks, and costs will be discussed along with any questions or concerns that you may have.
What anesthesia is the fat transfer procedure performed with?
While the procedure can be done under local anesthesia, we recommend sedation for maximum comfort throughout the procedure.
How is the fat transfer procedure performed?
Once anesthesia is administered, Dr. Donath will remove fat from the donor area with methods somewhat similar to liposuction, but with much more attention to keeping the cells alive. The abdomen, hips, and thighs are common donor sites. The fat is then prepared and carefully and methodically reinjected into the recipient sites in the face.
How long is the procedural time for fat transfer?
Fat transfer may take about an hour to perform.
Can any doctor perform a fat transfer?
Dr. Donath is the exclusive surgeon in the Tristate Area to have been personally trained by the experts in this revolutionary technique of Complementary Fat Grafting-those same surgeons that wrote the book on the technique. This technique maximizes the survival of fat that is transferred and can combine fat transfer with other surgical procedures to give you the best total facial rejuvenation, and one that is more natural appearing than ever before. In addition to this exclusive training, Dr. Donath recently published a landmark article on state-of-the-art facial rejuvenation in an internationally renowned journal. Dr. Donath was honored to be chosen to write this article as an expert in fat transfer and volumetric rejuvenation of the face. To read excerpts from this article, click here
Does fat transfer involve much pain?
Patients may experience some minor irritation and discomfort which tends to fade quickly, and which responds extremely well to oral pain medication.
What is the recovery from fat transfer like?
Patients may experience some minor discomfort after the procedure, though this tends to resolve quickly. Redness, bruising, swelling is variable but is greatly improved within 10-14 days. In general, the recovery is relatively minor and patients report that the results are absolutely worth it.
