Facial Fat Transfer New Jersey

What Is A Facial Fat Transfer?

Fat transfer is a minimally invasive procedure that involves removing fat from one area of the body and distributing it to another to restore volume. As the name suggests, facial fat grafting involves transferring fat to particular areas of the face that are sunken or require additional volume.

This procedure can help patients achieve a more youthful look by smoothing out wrinkles, improving skin texture and quality, as well as correcting abnormalities.

What Happens During A Facial Fat Transfer?

Harvesting

The process of facial fat grafting involves removing excess fat from one area of the body and distributing it to another to restore volume. To harvest the fat, Dr. Kaplan uses a minor liposuction technique to extract fat from an area of the body that is naturally rich in fat cells. This is usually the abdomen, buttocks, or thighs, but can be elsewhere depending on the patient’s anatomy.

Purification

Unlike traditional liposuction, the fat cells removed for transferring are treated very carefully to ensure it has the best chance of survival when injected back into the desired area. Once it’s been removed, the donor fat is prepared for transferring through a gentle purification process.

Volumization

Fat cells are then strategically injected into the areas of the face which require more volume. Dr. Kaplan takes a unique approach to each patient and no two transfers are the same, but common areas that see improvement from facial fat injections include the cheeks, nasolabial folds and temples.

Once the transfer is complete, the fat injections naturally embed into the tissue of the face and will develop their own blood supply to survive. Facial fat grafting is often combined with additional procedures to emphasize the result.

In particular, a facelift works wonderfully as a complementary surgery to fat transfer and 85% of cosmetic surgeons like to combine the two, as reported by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Watch how we restore youthfulness to the face through fat grafting with PRP and Adipose Stromal Stem Cells

How Is Fat Transferred To The Face?

Dr. Kaplan uses two techniques to transfer the harvested fat cells into the face, depending on the patient’s desired result and personalized requirements.

Dermapose

Dermapose is an innovative new fat transfer system that works by processing harvested fat into microfat, making it easier to inject with a smaller syringe.

As Dermapose maximizes revascularization and nutrient exposure, it enhances the chance of fat survival and provides an excellent volumizing structure.

For patients that require a smaller volume of fat transfer, Dermapose is a fantastic option.

Classic Fat Transfer

Using a small cannula, Dr. Kaplan re-injects the harvested fat cells into the face to rejuvenate and create shapely contours.

With this technique, Dr. Kaplan can use a higher volume of fat to fill defects, restore volume and create definition for areas of the face that benefit from lots of soft tissue, especially those which may have sunken with age.

Facial Fat Transfer vs. Fillers

Most commonly, injectable fillers are made from substances such as hyaluronic acid and are broken down by the body over several months or years, depending on the filler used. Fat transfer is a much longer-term procedure and results can even be permanent in some patients.

As facial fat grafting uses your own body’s fat cells, the procedure can yield more natural results than fillers and is associated with a lower risk of allergic reaction. Some patients find the idea of using their own fat much more desirable, with the added benefit that they can remove a small amount of excess fat from an area in the body they don’t want it.

Remember that facial fat transfer is a significantly more intricate procedure than injecting dermal fillers, so the expertise of a highly-skilled surgeon like Dr. Kaplan is crucial to producing natural, youthful-looking results with longevity.

When Can You See The Results From A Facial Fat Transfer?

It takes around nine months to see the final result of a facial fat transfer. This is due to some of the transferred fat dying off during the healing process, which is completely normal and we expect to happen. Several factors determine the survival rate of the fat once it’s been injected, some of which include age, genetics, and how well aftercare is followed.

Are Fat Transfer Results Permanent?

In some patients, facial fat transfers can be permanent. As the newly transferred fat will act as it does in any other area of the body, it’s important to remember that significant weight gain or loss may affect the long-term result.

Recovery After Facial Fat Transfer: What To Expect

Recovery Time

We recommend patients take one week off work following their facial fat grafting procedure to recover from the typical redness, bruising, and swelling that’s expected. Recovery time is often dependent on which area of the face the procedure is used, with areas like the lips requiring more downtime than others.

As fat grafting works by sculpting the face in the places each patient needs, The Kaplan Center team will provide personalized recovery guidelines on when you can expect swelling to subside. After a week, you’ll be able to return to your normal activities but we advise waiting a little longer before taking part in rigorous exercise.

Recovery Process

Dr. Kaplan generally recommends patients take time to rest, stay hydrated and be careful when sleeping while recovering from a fat grafting procedure. We advise patients to sleep with an elevated pillow for up to four weeks following surgery to help reduce swelling and avoid sleeping on any areas where the fat transfer has taken place.

Unlike in other procedures, Dr. Kaplan doesn’t advise patients to use ice to reduce residual swelling during the recovery process. This is because the transferred fat can be temporarily sensitive to temperature and we want to ensure it’s got the best chance of survival.

Patients must not smoke during the recovery process, as smoking reduces blood flow to the cells and can harm the chance of the transferred fat surviving.

Why Choose Dr Kaplan?

Dr Gordon Kaplan specialises in facial fat transfer and has delivered fantastic results for hundreds of patients. His years of experience are vital when it comes to maximising the amount of fat that survives a fat grafting procedure and achieving natural-looking end results.

As a testament to his ability, Dr Kaplan won Bergen Magazine’s Top Plastic Surgeon for Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty and Brazilian Butt Lifts for the past two years running. He also helped pioneer The Trifecta@ Technique, which is the combination of three machines: Vaser Ultrasound, MicroAire Power-Assisted Liposuction and Renuvion J-Plasma Skin Tightening.

Schedule A Consultation

If you would like to know more about facial fat transfer surgery at The Kaplan Center, the next step is to schedule a consultation with Dr Kaplan.

You can contact us via email (info@thekaplancenter.com) or call our New Jersey office at 201-710-7771, or our New York office at 212-731-4543.

Facial Fat Transfer FAQs

Can fat grafting be combined with other treatments?

Yes, fat grafting is often combined with other procedures like blepharoplasty, facelifts, brow lifts and laser resurfacing.

How much does facial fat grafting cost?

Fat grafting procedures vary greatly and so the cost of a procedure naturally depends on the patient’s individual requirements and desired results. We’d be happy to provide an estimate for you, please get in touch with our team for more information.

Do you offer financing options for facial fat grafting?

Yes, The Kaplan Center offers several financing options and we can assist you in applying for financing through a variety of options. Our financing plans offer easy terms, 0% or low-interest rates, and other flexible payment options to best fit any budget.