Fat Transfer

Restore Youthful Volume to Your Face & Body

Transferring fat to areas of the face and body is not a commonly known cosmetic procedure but it is an effective treatment to restore lost volume to the face, hands, and parts of the body using your own fat. At Chernoff Cosmetic Surgery, located in Santa Rosa, we offer a number of treatment options, including the well-known use of advanced dermal fillers to temporarily restore volume to these fat-deficient areas of the face and hands.

Dr. Greg Chernoff, a triple-board certified plastic surgeon, offers autologous fat transfer to help add volume and contour back to fat-deficient areas of the face and body. Fat transfer is an excellent way to restore lost facial volume and help you “Look Your Natural Best!”

What Is An Autologous Fat Transfer?

As we age, our faces and bodies go through changes as a result of lost fat. Some of the impacted areas of the face and body include:

  • Eyes and cheeks begin to sink in and appear concave
  • Vertical lines around our mouth, commonly mistaken for ‘smoker’s lines'
  • Hands start looking bony
  • Veins and tendons on the hand are more apparent
  • Buttocks begin to flatten

All of these changes are a result of lost fat. Autologous fat transfer is a method of facial volumizing and body contouring that involves the removal of excess fat from one part of the body, filtering the fat, and then injecting it into areas that are deficient.

Fat transfer is autologous because it’s your own fat which is rich with stem cells, making it an ideal method to plump the face and add volume to areas of the body. Autologous fat transfer is safe, natural, and non-allergenic.

How Is A Fat Transfer Performed?

The first step is to harvest the excess fat from the designated targeted area of the patient’s body. Autologous fat transfer is performed with Ultrasound Assisted Tumescent Liposuction or non-surgical needle suction aspiration to harvest the fat. The harvested fat is then purified and optimized for transfer. Once purified, the fat is injected into the area deficient of volume or fatty tissue. The re-inserted fat is then formed and sculpted to achieve the desired shape.

Unlike synthetic fillers, fat transfer is permanent. The transplanted fat cells will develop their blood supply and will remain in their new location.

Are You Candidate For A Fat Transfer?

Patients seeking augmentation procedures in their body and face are possible candidates for fat transfer. Patients are happy to know that it is possible to sculpt an area of excess fat, and through a fat transfer process, Dr. Chernoff can meticulously inject your fatty tissue into areas where aging has caused fatty deposits to deteriorate.

The most common areas for fat injections/fat sculpture are in the brow area, or under the eyes to fill in a gaunt or sunken-in look. Other areas include marionette lines or nasolabial folds.

Preparing for Surgery

Prior to any surgical procedure, Dr. Chernoff recommends that all our patients read our "Patient Guide for Plastic Surgery". The guide explains important points that all patients should think about as they are considering a surgical procedure.

The potential side effects include minor swelling or bruising at the treatment site directly following treatment. These side effects typically resolve on their own and should subside within a few days of the treatment.

Dr. Chernoff has performed thousands of fat transfers with excellent results in Santa Rosa, CA.