Facial Fat Transfer
in Bellevue

Time, sunlight, and everyday expressions slowly melt away the plump facial fat that once softened your features. Hollow cheeks, thinning lips, and deepening folds can make you look tired—even when you feel energetic. Dermal fillers help, but repeat appointments and the thought of “foreign” material keep many patients searching for something more lasting and natural.

At The Gallery of Cosmetic Surgery, we offer facial fat transfer that restores age-related volume loss by gently harvesting a small amount of fat—usually from the abdomen or flanks—purifying it, and strategically reinjecting it where fullness makes the greatest impact. Because these grafted cells are your own, they establish a blood supply and can thrive for years, delivering soft, natural-looking rejuvenation that moves and feels entirely authentic.

What Is Facial Fat Transfer?

Facial fat transfer—also called autologous fat grafting—is a minimally invasive procedure that uses your own fat as a natural “filler.” After gentle liposuction harvest, the fat is spun in a closed centrifuge to separate healthy cells from fluid and debris. Your surgeon then places micro-droplets of this refined fat into the cheeks, temples, jawline, lips, and under-eye hollows through needle-size entry points. Each droplet picks up a blood supply, integrates with surrounding tissue, and becomes a living part of your face.

Benefits Compared With Dermal Fillers

Injectable fillers have their place, but fat grafting offers advantages that appeal to patients seeking a one-and-done approach. Many people appreciate the convenience of fillers but grow weary of appointments every 6–12 months. Others develop mild swelling or feel the gel after it’s injected. Fat transfer eliminates these issues by relying on your own biology.

• 100 % Natural & Biocompatible: Your body already “knows” your own fat, so allergic reactions are virtually impossible.
• Long-Lasting Results: Approximately half, and often more, of the transferred fat can remain indefinitely, reducing or eliminating the need for future top-ups.
• Skin-Quality Boost: Fat contains stem-cell–rich fractions that may improve skin tone, firmness, and elasticity over time.
• Body Contouring Bonus: Harvest sites such as the abdomen, flanks, or inner thighs enjoy a subtle slimming effect.
• Cost-Effective Over Time: While the upfront fee is higher than one syringe of filler, longevity often makes fat transfer the smarter investment.
  

Ideal candidates for Facial Fat Transfer

Even very slender patients generally have enough donor fat for this procedure—only a small volume is required. You may be an excellent candidate if you:

• Notice hollow cheeks, sunken temples, or prominent lines that fillers no longer mask well.
• Prefer a natural alternative to synthetic products.
• Can pause smoking or nicotine for at least four weeks before and after surgery.
• Have realistic expectations and stable body weight.
• Wish to combine volume restoration with subtle liposuction sculpting elsewhere.

During your consultation, we review medical history, lifestyle, and 3-D imaging to ensure facial fat grafting fits your goals.

How the Facial Fat Transfer Procedure Works

Your journey begins with a 3D imaging consultation that pinpoints volume loss and previews your results. On treatment day, local anesthesia with light sedation keeps you relaxed while the surgeon removes a modest amount of fat—usually 20–60 cc—through a tiny, concealed incision in the abdomen, flanks, or thighs. The fat is immediately purified in a closed centrifuge, isolating the healthiest, stem-cell–rich cells. Using needle-fine micro-cannulas, the surgeon then layers ultrathin ribbons of this refined fat into the cheeks, temples, lips, jawline, or under-eye hollows, ensuring each droplet contacts a robust blood supply for lasting take and smooth contours. The procedure lasts about an hour, and you can return home the same day with only a few small adhesive strips in place.

Recovery & Downtime

Mild swelling and bruising peak in the first 48–72 hours, then steadily fade so most patients feel comfortable returning to desk work within a week. Light exercise is usually fine after two weeks, and residual puffiness resolves over the next several weeks as the grafted fat stabilizes. Final contours become apparent between three and six months, with only tiny incision sites that need minimal care.

Results & Longevity

The fat that survives the first three months behaves like native tissue, shrinking or expanding only with significant weight changes. Clinical studies show 50–70 % long-term retention, and many patients keep their refreshed contours five years or more. A small percentage choose a refinement session to fine-tune symmetry or add subtle volume once healing is complete.

Risks & Safety Considerations

Swelling, bruising, asymmetry, infection (<1 %), and partial fat resorption are possible but our surgeons mitigate risk using low-pressure harvest, closed-system processing, and blunt micro-cannulas for injection.

Cost & Financing Options for Facial Fat Transfer

The total investment for a facial fat transfer varies with the number of treatment areas, the complexity of your goals, operating-room time, and whether you choose enhancements such as PRP. You will receive a detailed, all-inclusive quote during your consultation, so there are no surprises later. To make the procedure accessible, we work with third-party lenders like CareCredit, ALPHAEON Credit, and United Medical Credit, and offer flexible in-house payment plans—ranging from short, zero-interest options to longer, low-APR schedules—so you can achieve lasting facial rejuvenation on a timeline and budget that feels comfortable.

Schedule a Consultation

Volume loss doesn’t have to age your expression. Claim your complimentary facial assessment at The Gallery of Cosmetic Surgery in Bellevue—conveniently located for patients from Bellevue, Kirkland, and Seattle. Call 425-775-3561 or click “Book Online” to reserve your visit.