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Face Fat Grafting
Transfer of your own fat to selected facial areas with lost volume.
Consult with Dr. Henry Huson at Queen City Plastic Surgery in West Chester, Ohio, serving the Cincinnati area.

- Setting
- Confirmed with your treatment plan
- Anesthesia
- Local with sedation, or general
- Procedure time
- Individual estimate at consultation
- Recovery
- Often 1 to 2 weeks or longer
- Results
- Develop over months; results vary
General planning information. Your procedure, anesthesia, recovery, and results depend on your health and treatment plan. Returning to work does not mean full healing.
About the procedure
Facial fat grafting uses liposuction to collect fat, processes it, and places small amounts into selected areas of the face. Treatment planning considers both the donor site and the area receiving the graft.
Some transferred fat is absorbed, and the amount retained varies by patient, technique, and treatment area. A further session may be considered after healing. Retained fat can last, but it still changes with weight and aging. Fat transfer adds volume; it does not replace a lift for substantial sagging.
Good candidates
- Hollow temples, cheeks, or under-eye areas
- Deepening lines and folds from volume loss
- Patients who prefer their own tissue to synthetic filler
- Enough donor fat on the abdomen or thighs
Candidacy is confirmed at your consultation. Dr. Huson will tell you honestly if a different approach would serve you better.
Before & after
Coming soon
Before and after photos for face fat grafting will be added here.
What to expect
Your consultation
The consultation reviews your goals, medical history, medications, nicotine use, and examination findings. Discuss alternatives, the proposed setting and anesthesia, realistic changes, costs, and the support you will need during recovery.
The procedure
Fat is harvested with a gentle liposuction technique, purified, and placed in small amounts through tiny entry points to rebuild volume where the face has lost it.
Recovery
Both the donor site and face can bruise and swell. Retention and contour are assessed over several months before deciding whether more treatment is useful.
Risks and limitations
- Fat absorption, lumps, cysts, infection, and uneven contour can require further treatment.
- Inadvertent vascular injection can have severe consequences, including tissue damage or vision loss. Donor sites also have liposuction risks.
This is not a complete list. Your clinician should explain the risks of the specific procedure and anesthesia, including bleeding, infection, healing problems, and any medical factors that change your risk.
Other options
A suitable filler may provide a temporary volume change. A facelift addresses laxity rather than missing volume. Each approach has different risks, and no treatment is an option.
Planning your consultation
Bring your medication list and relevant medical history. Ask about the facility, anesthesia team, follow-up, time away from work, and help at home. Request an itemized estimate covering the procedure, anesthesia, facility, and any additional care; confirm coverage directly if insurance may apply.
Common questions
Bring the rest to your consultation. There is no such thing as too many.
How much fat survives?
There is no reliable percentage for every patient. Retention depends on the site, technique, healing, and amount transferred.
Is it permanent?
Retained fat can be long lasting, but some is absorbed and the remaining volume changes with weight and aging.
Can it be combined with a facelift?
Sometimes. It adds volume, while a lift repositions tissues. Neither treatment is automatically necessary for the other.
Related procedures
View all 13Sources and further reading
- ASPS: Facial fat injections
- StatPearls: Facial fat grafting and complications
- Cleveland Clinic: Fat transfer, recovery, and risks
Patient education from Queen City Plastic Surgery. Updated . General information does not replace a personal medical assessment. Sources explain general procedures and do not establish the services or protocols of this practice. Contact the practice with questions or to request a correction.
Ready to talk about Face Fat Grafting?
Consultations are free, unhurried, and educational. Bring your questions and your goals; leave with an honest plan.