Everything about facial fat grafting in Korea

Don’t we all hate to age? Don’t get me wrong, aging is great – we acquire more wisdom and become more mature. But don’t we all wish to age only in our minds?

Because as our age goes up, our skin goes down. Sadly, aging is a process that we can’t avoid. But that doesn’t mean we cannot bring back our once youthful appearance, right?

Right! And as we age, our face loses its elasticity and volume, but here’s the good news – We can restore our youthful appearance with facial fat grafting by using the ogee curve philosophy.

So let’s age but still look young! And here’s how.

What is the ogee curve?

The best plastic surgeons understand the ogee curve philosophy, and by implementing the ogee curve on your face, it can make you look younger and more beautiful. So, what’s an ogee curve?

The ogee curve of beauty is the double S-shaped curves which gives your face contour and dimension from a 45° angle.

Think 3D – The start of the double “S” starts from your forehead, curves in at your eyes, then curves outward at the upper cheek, then to softly curve inwards to just above your mouth.

Younger women have a wide Ogee curve, which gives the upper and mid-face volume and fullness.

But with age, the S-shaped curve becomes flatter, leaving you with flat cheeks and a lack of contour to your face. And that makes you look older.

So, how do you bring back a wide ogee curve to your face? Here’s where facial fat grafting comes in!

What is facial fat grafting surgery?

We always try ways to get rid of our fats, or at least, hide them. But little do we know that by transferring these fats to our face, they can actually make our face and skin fuller and younger! And that, is what facial fat grafting is all about.

Facial fat grafting, aka facial fat transfer, is a cosmetic procedure where fat tissues are extracted from other parts of your body (usually the back of your thighs or belly or buttocks) and injected into the areas of your face which requires volume.

I see a lot of you grinning already, thinking that you can finally get rid of your belly and thigh fats. But nope! Fat grafting is no liposuction. You won’t be able to remove that much fats to make a difference to your thighs or belly. Sorry!

Still, fat grafting is especially beneficial for:

• Those with flat faces (no volume on face)
• Those with sunken or hallowed areas on their faces
• Those who wish to restore a youthful look
• Those who want to rejuvenate their face and skin

With fat grafting, you can create or restore a wide ogee curve to your face, which gives your face a 3D effect. That, in turn, makes your face look smaller, younger, and definitely more attractive.

Fat grafting treatment areas

There are 3 main areas where fat grafting can be done – face, breasts and buttocks. However, this post will only focus on fat grafting on the face, but we will cover the other areas in another post. As mentioned earlier, fat grafting can plump, lift and smooth your skin and face, making you look younger and better. And since you are using your own fat tissues, rejection rate is almost zero.

If you want to know more about this procedure, speak to our consultants.

But that’s not all – fat grafting is a non-invasive procedure, and that means fast recovery and no scarring as well. In fact, the satisfaction rate for fat grafting surgery is 100%! So, here are the different areas where you can do fat grafting on your face:

1. Forehead fat grafting

• For a fuller forehead to give a more youthful appearance.
• Reduces appearance of wrinkles on forehead.
• Entry point of fat injection at the edge of your hairline at the top of your forehead.

2. Fat grafting at your temples

• Restore volume to both sides of the temples, giving your eyes a more attractive and youthful appearance.
• Entry point of fat injection at the edge of your hairline at the sides of your forehead.

3. Upper eyelid fat grafting

• Addresses sunken or hollow upper eyelids which makes your eyes appear tired.
• Corrects problem of upper eyelids with multiple folds.
• Entry point of fat injection at your eyebrows.

4. Under eye fat transfer

• Addresses sunken or hollow under eyes, making your eyes look more refreshed and brighter.
• Entry point of fat injection at your frontal cheeks.

5. Maxilla (frontal cheek) fat grafting

• Creates volume on your cheekbones for a youthful appearance.
• Addresses the problems of sunken or hollow tear trough.
• Entry point of fat injection at your cheeks.

6. Cheek fat grafting

• Reduces the hollowness below the cheekbones as excessive hollows make you look aged.
• Allows for contouring of your cheeks to make your face appear fuller.
• Entry point of fat injection at the side of your face (sideburn area) or at your cheeks.

7. Smile line fat grafting

• Also known as fat transfer for nasolabial folds.
• Addresses the problems of wide and deep smile lines due to sagging which makes you look older.
• Entry point of fat injection at the corners of your lips.

8. Fat grafting for lips

• Creates volume to plump up your lips.
• Entry point of fat injection at your lip corners.

9. Fat grafting for marionette lines

• Fill in and softens the deep creases (marionette lines), making you look younger and more cheerful.
• Entry point of fat injection at your lip corners.

10. Chin fat grafting

• Creates volume to make your chin look slightly sharper and more v-shaped.
• Reduces appearance of double chin.
• However, if your chin is very short, fat grafting might not be enough and you might have to consider fillers or chin implants instead.
• Entry point of fat injection at the tip of your chin.

In general, most people opt for full face fat grafting, though they might not need volume in every area listed above. Because by doing so, your plastic surgeon can contour your face accordingly for best results.

Facial fat grafting procedure

Micro fat grafting

Firstly, the fats are harvested from your thighs, abdomen (belly) or buttocks. Once successfully extracted, the fats are processed to filter out pure fats which will be used for fat grafting. Purified fats are then collected and then injected into the areas of the face that needs fat transfers.

The best and most popular technique used is micro fat grafting where a thin cannula is used instead. In that way, small fat tissues can be injected evenly into each layer of skin that requires volume. Also, micro fat grafting increases the survival rate of the grafted fat, which means your fat grafting will last longer!

Micro fat grafting + PRP

Very often than not, many opt to include PRP (platelet-rich plasmas) to their fat graft. PRP can be taken from your blood and is known to accelerate healing and rejuvenation.

Adding PRP not only improves fat engraft rate (meaning your fat grafting results will last longer), but also improves skin rejuvenation, giving you a healthier glow and better skin! Therefore, adding of PRP is highly recommended!

Pros & cons of facial fat grafting

To be honest, usually about 50% of the fat grafting will be naturally absorbed back by your body over 2~3 months after your 1st session of fat grafting. Hence, 2 sessions of fat grafting are usually recommended for long lasting results.

If you have decided to do 2 sessions of fat grafting, it’s best to do your 2nd session on the 3rd month after your 1st session. That is so that your plastic surgeon can accurately gauge how much fats got absorbed back and how much more fats to inject.

What happens to your skin after the effects of fat grafting is gone?

Results from fat grafting usually lasts 5~10 years (if you do 2 sessions and depending on your body’s absorption rate as well). In the best case scenario, it can even last forever, that is if your body does not easily absorb back the fats.

But what happens if your body does absorb back all the fats? Well, your skin returns to its original state. There is no extra sagging or any kind of sagging effects after the effects of your fat grafting is gone. Though I must say that not all your fats get absorbed back into your body, for most of the time, that is.

How long does fat grafting surgery take?

Fat grafting surgery in Korea usually lasts 30~60 mins and is performed under sedation anesthesia so you will not feel any pain.

When can I see results from fat grafting surgery?

Instantaneous results, though a little swelling might last up to 1 week. You will not feel any pain on your face but might feel a little sore at the areas where your fats were harvested from. Usually your thighs, abdomen or buttocks.

Do note that the areas where fat grafting is done is usually taped up after the surgery. Keep the tape on for at least 4 days so as to maintain the shape and contours from your fat transfer surgery.

Actual recovery time vary among individuals, and is subjected to one’s health condition & healing response.

How long should I stay in Korea?

Fat grafting surgery in Korea is a very minor surgery so hospitalization is not required. Though there are no stitches on your face, there is minimal stitching at where your fats are extracted. So, do stay until your stitches are removed.

Maybe go shopping in the meantime!

Stitch removal

Stitches are usually removed 7~10 days after surgery.

Cautions on stitch removal

If you remove the stitches earlier then advised, your wound might reopen, causing an infection. And if you remove it too late, you risk further scarring and pigmentation.

Sometimes due to time constraints, you might consider having your stitches removed at the local hospitals in your home country. Although that is possible (but not recommended), it depends on how well you have been healing and is also subjected to doctor’s approval.

Fat grafting VS fillers

Let’s face it, both provide excellent results at creating volume on your face. But which is better?

For starters, long term wise, it’s definitely most cost-effective to go with fat grafting, especially when there are several parts of your face which needs volume. And if your fats doesn’t get absorbed back into your body easily, these results can last a lifetime.

And not only does fat grafting restore volume, stem cells found in fat injections also has rejuvenation properties which helps with skin rejuvenation and healing, making your skin look brighter and younger! Even more so if you add PRP into your fat graft. That said, unlike fillers, fat grafting involves a small surgery to be done on another part of your body in order to extract the fats.

Fillers might be good if dramatic results are needed but there is still a small risk that you might have an allergic response to fillers, and results only last for a short time, usually 6~8 months.

What other surgery complements fat grafting surgery?

1. Forehead lifting surgery

Fat grafting, coupled with endotine forehead lift surgery, can seriously enhance a more youthful appearance! And it can be done together with fat grafting surgery.

2. Eyelid surgery

Your eyes are the mirrors to your soul. Discover how you can reshape your eyes to reflect your inner beauty through our blog posts on eyelid surgery. Note that eyelid surgery surgery should be done 1~2 weeks after

3. Nose surgery

If you are looking to enhance your nose aesthetically, find out more through our complete guide on rhinoplasty.

4. Lip surgery

Your lips can say so much more! Learn how to get plump and sexy through our blog posts on lip surgery.

Conclusion

You can’t avoid aging but you can look young with appropriate volume in the right areas of your face, and at an affordable price.

Think about it – No incisions, restores volume, rejuvenates your skin, gives your face a 3D effect which enhances your looks and makes you look younger. There really isn’t much side effects or disadvantages of a fat grafting surgery, to be honest!

So, what’s stopping you?