I use fat grafting to achieve small increases in volume; due to safety and efficacy risks I do not perform high volume liposuction or fat grafting.

Slim women who lack fat across their chest may request fat grafting to soften the appearance of their breast implants, and I often graft small amounts of fat around the periphery of implants, to reduce the visibility of implant rippling.

Unfortunately, it’s not an easy case of liposuctioning large amounts of stomach fat and using it to build breasts that are two cup sizes larger. This is because liposuction technology aims to remove the maximum amount of fat with the least amount of physical damage to surrounding tissues. And the best way to do that is to break down the fat as much as possible before extracting it. This damages the fat cells and inhibits their ability to regrow when transplanted into another area.

One of the biggest downfalls of fat grafting is the fact that some fat always dies off when being grafted to the new site – this can range anywhere from 5% up to 40%.

Fat grafting has been around for a long time, but its widespread cosmetic use is a very recent event and modern medicine is still adapting ways to help reduce the number of fat cells that die when grafted.

If large amounts of fat don’t survive the process, fat necrosis can occur. This usually resolves with time, but can cause pain and sensitivity in the area as well as contour deformities and pockets of firmness that are sometimes visible to the eye.

Fat grafting requires a combination of sound surgical technique, good fat selection and a suitable candidate. Patients need to be non smokers, follow a nutrient-rich diet low in processed foods, stay within a normal weight range and closely follow post operative instructions to ensure best possible results.

When I perform fat grafting to subtly enhance parts of the face or body, I use a special fat harvesting kit to strategically process small quantities of good quality fat, with minimal disruption to the fat cells themselves. In the case of facial fat grafting, the fat is then carefully put through a process that creates tiny ‘micro’ fat that can be injected into the face.

Fat grafting can change the appearance of an ageing face, but it won’t address all aspects of facial ageing, and depending on how much skin laxity you have, you may find that a facelift is unavoidable if you wish to restore your underlying facial structure and skin tightness.

These procedures may be performed in the one operation, or over separate surgeries. The first step is to consult 2 or 3 specialist plastic surgeons to obtain their opinion about the best procedures and techniques for you and your individual aesthetic objectives, so you understand all of your options and the benefits, risks and cost associated with each of these.

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The above information is general in nature and does not constitute medical advice. All surgery carries benefits and risks, and we recommend visiting the specific page related to the procedure you are interested in to learn more.