Everything You Need to know about fat grafting
Fat grafting, also known as fat transfer or lipofilling, is a procedure that’s rapidly growing in popularity, and for good reason. It’s a powerful way to enhance or restore volume using your body’s own natural fat, with applications across both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Whether it’s restoring youthful contours in the face, enhancing the breasts or buttocks, or refining results from previous procedures, fat grafting offers versatility and longevity.
What is fat grafting?
Fat grafting involves harvesting fat from one area of the body (typically areas like the abdomen, thighs, or flanks) via gentle liposuction, purifying it, and then re-injecting it into areas that need volume or contouring. Because we’re using your own fat, the results are soft, natural-looking, and well tolerated by the body.
Where can fat grafting be used?
Some of the most common areas we treat include:
Face: To restore volume in the cheeks, under-eye area, or temples.
Breasts: For subtle enhancement, symmetry, or to improve shape after surgery.
Buttocks: to restore volume and projection, or correct contour deformities that become more obvious with ageing like the hip dip area.
Hands or scars: To soften contours and improve texture.
Why consider fat grafting?
The benefits are compelling:
Natural-looking results using your own tissue
Dual benefit of contouring an area via liposuction
Minimal scarring
Low risk of allergic reaction since no synthetic material is used
That said, it’s important to understand that not all the fat will “take.” On average, about 40-60% of the transferred fat remains permanently, while the rest is naturally reabsorbed by the body. This is why your surgeon may recommend slightly overfilling at the time of surgery. Sometimes, multiple treatments may be recommended to achieve the final desired contour/outcome.
Is it safe and is it right for me?
Like all procedures, there are risks and complications associated with fat grafting, and Dr Ania will discuss these with you at your consultation. Fat grafting isn’t for everyone. Good candidates are generally healthy, have enough available fat to harvest, and realistic expectations. It’s also not a substitute for implants in cases where significant volume is desired, but it can be a powerful complement to other procedures.
Recovery and results
Downtime depends on the extent of the procedure and areas treated. Most patients experience swelling and bruising for the first 1–2 weeks. A period of downtime is usually recommended to increase the chance of fat survival. You’ll see early results quickly, but final outcomes become more apparent over the following months as swelling settles and the fat stabilises.
If you’re curious about whether fat grafting could be right for you, feel free to reach out. Every body is different, and I’d love to talk through your goals and what’s possible.