Cheek Augmentation with Fat Transfer

About the Procedure

Fat transfer is often considered a "natural" method of augmentation since the material used for achieving increased fullness is produced by the patient's own body. This also means that unlike cheek implants or dermal fillers, fat transfers will not be rejected by the body as a foreign substance. Although some injected material will be absorbed by the body, the effects of transferred fat typically lasts for longer periods of time than hyaluronic acid based injectables. In order to use the patient's own fat for transfer, a liposuction procedure must first be performed. Liposuction is commonly performed in the stomach or thigh region to retrieve the fat which will then be methodically cleansed and purified before injection. Once the liposuction procedure is complete, the face will be prepped for the fat grafting. Usually, 10-15 cc's of fat will be injected into each cheek however placement and amount will depend on the individual. Since it is common for some of the fat injected to be reabsorbed by the body, the doctor may overcompensate and initially inject more to account for the inevitable loss. Additional treatments may be necessary to achieve desired results.