Fat Grafting
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Hollow cheeks, deeper wrinkles, and facial volume loss can subtly change how rested you look. Fat grafting addresses these concerns by restoring volume with your own fat for natural-looking results. Randy Proffitt, MD, FACS, provides facial fat grafting in Mobile, Alabama and the Gulf Coast Region, as a long-term alternative to injectable fillers.
Fat Grafting for Natural Soft Tissue Augmentation
Fat grafting, also known as fat transfer surgery or lipoinjection, is a technique for soft-tissue augmentation that plastic surgeons have utilized for many years. The method works much like a wrinkle filler, except it uses your own fat cells. For the right patient, fat grafting is a great, long-lasting alternative to injectable fillers, such as Juvéderm.
Fat grafting moves fat from one area of your body to your face. The procedure removes fat from areas such as your abdomen or thighs using gentle liposuction. Dr. Proffitt then purifies this fat and carefully injects it into areas that need more volume. Common treatment areas include cheeks, under-eye hollows, temples, and lips.
Dr. Proffitt offers facial fat grafting for patients seeking natural facial volume restoration and long-lasting wrinkle correction.
Who’s the Right Candidate for Fat Grafting?
As you age, fatty tissue slowly disappears and volume decreases. To restore a plump, youthful appearance, you need to augment the tissue and restore lost volume. Fat grafting is one method among many to achieve this.
Dr. Proffitt may recommend fat grafting to treat:
- Volume loss in your cheeks, temples, or under-eye areas
- Deep wrinkles or folds you want to soften
- Hollow areas that make you look tired or older
- Depressed scars
- Facial grooves or furrows
- Thin lips
Lip augmentation is among the most common fat grafting procedures. Dr. Proffitt offers this procedure as a more permanent alternative to lip augmentation with Juvéderm or Restylane.
During fat grafting, Dr. Proffitt can soften facial lines, fill in deep wrinkles or creases, and contour specific areas of the face. Because fat grafting requires liposuction to obtain fatty tissue, a good candidate will have sufficient fat stores in the thighs, abdomen, buttocks, or elsewhere.
What to Expect Before and During the Procedure
Your fat grafting consultation
When you visit our cosmetic surgery office in Mobile, Dr. Proffitt can answer your questions about fat grafting. He will also listen to your aesthetic goals, evaluate your skin, and then determine if you’re a suitable candidate. You’ll also have the opportunity to view a wide variety of plastic surgery before-and-after-photos.
If fat grafting is not ideal for you, Dr. Proffitt may recommend an alternative such as Juvéderm or facial implants.
How fat grafting works
Fat grafting uses autologous fat. This term refers to the injection of fat from your own body into another area. The surgery typically takes one to two hours.
Fat grafting has two stages. First, fatty tissue is collected with a low-pressure syringe or microcannula. Dr. Proffitt removes fat from an area of your body with dense fat cells. Second, after the fat is collected, it will be prepared and then reinjected. Small droplets of fat are injected into targeted areas for augmentation. This layered approach helps the fat cells establish a blood supply in their new location.
Fat transfer requires only a small amount of fat, which can usually be taken without changing the appearance of the donor area. After purification, the fat is ready for injection or can be safely stored for future use.
Experienced plastic surgeon Dr. Proffitt performs facial fat grafting in his office. Patients undergoing fat grafting to the buttocks will have the procedure completed in an outpatient surgery center under general anesthesia. Fat grafting to the buttocks is also known as a Brazilian Butt Lift.
View more plastic surgery photos
BBL – Brazilian Butt Lift
Fat Grafting Recovery: What to Expect After Fat Grafting
The results of fat grafting are permanent. However, fat injection is a more complex procedure for soft-tissue augmentation. It requires extracting fat and specialized knowledge of how that fat is reintegrated into the body. In many cases, the patient’s body will break down and resorb some of the grafted fat.
After surgery, the treated areas are covered with a bandage. It’s common to experience some swelling and bruising after the procedure. Most swelling peaks within the first three days and gradually improves over two weeks. Bruising typically fades within 7-10 days. You can usually return to work within five to seven days, depending on the extent of your procedure.
Some of the transferred fat will naturally reabsorb during the first few months. This is normal and expected. Dr. Proffitt accounts for this by slightly overfilling treatment areas. You’ll notice initial changes right away, but your final results stabilize around 3-6 months after surgery. The fat that survives becomes a permanent part of your facial tissue.
When successful, fat grafting can provide a pleasing, natural-looking result that noticeably improves your appearance.
Benefits of Fat Grafting
Fat grafting offers several advantages over synthetic options:
- Natural-looking volume restoration – Uses your own tissue for authentic-looking volume
- Long-lasting enhancement compared to dermal fillers – Fat that survives becomes permanent, unlike temporary fillers
- No synthetic fillers – Uses the patient’s own fat
- No allergic reactions – Your body won’t reject its own fat
- Improves skin quality – Fat contains stem cells that can improve skin texture
- Dual benefit – Removes unwanted fat while adding volume where you need it
- Improves facial contours, wrinkles, and hollow areas – Adds volume to cheeks, under-eye areas, temples, and other volume-deficient regions
When comparing fat grafting vs. dermal fillers, many patients prefer fat grafting because the results last longer and feel more natural. The procedure also offers advantages over facial implants since it uses your own tissue rather than synthetic materials.
Cost of Fat Grafting
The cost of fat grafting varies based on the treatment areas, the amount of fat transferred, and whether the procedure is combined with others. Because each plan is individualized, exact pricing is discussed after your consultation and evaluation.
Financing options through CareCredit are available to help make treatment more accessible.
Why Choose Dr. Randy Proffitt for Fat Grafting in Mobile, Alabama and the Gulf Coast Region?
Dr. Randy Proffitt is a double-board-certified plastic surgeon serving patients in Mobile, Alabama and the Gulf Coast Region, with certifications from both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery.
He completed eight years of surgical training, including a residency in plastic surgery at the University of Louisville and fellowship training in microvascular reconstructive surgery. His experience supports careful fat harvesting and thoughtful placement for natural-looking facial volume.
Care is supported by an experienced clinical staff focused on comfort, coordination, and clear communication. From consultation through recovery, each step is handled with attention to safety and organization. Dr. Proffitt also maintains hospital affiliations with leading medical centers, allowing continuity of care for all our plastic surgery procedures and body procedures when surgical treatment is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule Your Fat Grafting Consultation Now
Fat grafting provides a natural approach to restoring facial volume using your own tissue, with results that can last longer than those of injectable fillers. If you are interested in fat grafting in Mobile with board-certified plastic surgeon Randy Proffitt, please contact our Alabama plastic surgery practice today. You can reach our friendly, helpful staff by email or by calling 251-344-0322 to inquire about an appointment.