Fat Transfer

Lipo transfer or fat grafting surgery is a great option for replacing loss of volume and hollowing that occurs in the face, particularly in the cheeks and around the eyes. The best candidates for lipo-transfer are patients who experience deflation of their facial volume more quickly than any other aging process. Based on your genetical make up (just look at the aging changes of your parents), your exercise tendencies, sudden weight loss, early dental extractions, you may experience early “deflation” of the youthful volume of your facial shape. Younger patients in 30’s or 40’s, may only need to volume enhance the deflated zones in the face, whereas older patients may require both volume enhancement and a lifting procedure. The surgery is two-fold: first, fat is harvested from the area where you have the most resilient fat in your body, usually the belly and the thighs for women and belly and love handle area for men. The fat is then gently harvested using a handheld syringe rather than liposuction machine to minimize traumatizing the fat during the harvesting process. The harvested fat is separated from impurities using a centrifuge and transferred into small syringes. Second, Dr. Kang uses a “micro-droplet” technique using many little gentle passes to transfer the fat droplets into the needed areas for the smoothest results and the longest effect possible. At the time of consultation, Dr. Kang will advise you as to the best zones of your face (high/mid/low check area, corner of mouth, jowl and jaw area, tear trough area, upper eyelid area) for the fat transfer to look as youthful and natural as possible. It is important to realize that fat transfer is mainly for volume restoration and not to erase all the fine lines, and wrinkles on your face, for which, Dr. Kang will recommend combined therapy with more “viscoid-elastic” injectables, such as Juverderm or Restylene. On the other hand, a unique unexpected gain in some patient is a long-term improvement in the overall tone, texture, and even fine wrinkles of the face which appears to last even after the fat volume enhancement depletes with time.