Why is Facial Fat Transfer Considered Superior to Dermal Fillers?

Many patients are looking for a longer-term solution. The body will eventually reabsorb dermal ﬁllers. In the facial fat transfer procedure, the transferred fat cells become part of your body and will ﬂourish for the years ahead in the new location.

How is the Fat Harvested for Facial Fat Grafting?

To harvest fat during facial fat grafting, a specialized cannula (tiny hollow needle) is employed. The size of the extracted fat cells is a crucial factor in determining their future viability when transferred to a new location. The suction used in the process is very gentle, resulting in fewer cells being damaged during the extraction process. It will be harvested from an area of the body with excess fatty deposits, such as thighs, buttocks, or love handles.

How Long Until I See Results?

You’ll start to notice improvements within the first two to three weeks, once swelling subsides. However, it takes approximately three to six months for the final results to take effect fully. The surviving fat cells integrate into your tissue, and once that happens, those contours are yours to keep.

Is Facial Fat Grafting Painful?

The discomfort associated with facial fat grafting is minor and can be easily managed with oral pain medication. The area from which the fat has been extracted and the area of the face into which the puriﬁed fat is injected will both feel tender for a few days after the procedure.

How Many Appointments Will I Need?

For many of our Edmonton patients, a single fat grafting session is often sufficient to achieve the desired results. However, because not all transferred fat survives the process (typically about 60 to 80% of the fat remains long-term), a touch-up procedure may be recommended 6–12 months later to refine the outcome or enhance volume in specific areas.

Can I Combine Facial Fat Grafting With Other Procedures?

Absolutely — in fact, it’s often the best way to elevate your results. Facial fat grafting is often paired with other facial procedures, such as facelift surgery, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) , brow lift, or even ultrasonic rhinoplasty.

Will I be Put Under Anesthetic?

Every patient has a diﬀerent response to pain. Typically, facial fat grafting involves intravenous sedation in conjunction with local anesthesia. We discuss your individual thoughts about how you respond to minor pain or fear of pain to determine how to make the procedure comfortable for you.

Edmonton, Alberta

Facial Fat Grafting

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Introduction

Introduction to Facial Fat Grafting

Smooth contours with defined lines characterize a beautiful, youthful face. As we age, our faces naturally begin to lose volume, creating hollows that cast shadows about the face, making it seem older than it is. Over time, the inevitability of aging takes hold, and as the collagen that gives structure to the skin decreases, it begins to sag, and the fat deposits that give our features definition start to slip away. Common complaints associated with aging include hollow cheeks and sunken eyes, in addition to the wrinkles that often accompany this decrease in facial volume.

Although aging is inevitable, it doesn’t mean we are out of choices for addressing its effects. One of the most exciting developments in esthetics, facial fat grafting, involves harvesting fat from another body area, purifying the fat cells, and carefully injecting the cells into various facial areas. This provides a natural solution to restoring supple, youthful volume throughout the face, resulting in a smooth, plump, and rejuvenated appearance.

Fat transfer re-volumizes and plumps up areas of the face with your own fat to eliminate wrinkles and re-contour your face, providing definition and re-contouring the dark circles and hollows under your eyes, plumping up thinning lips, accentuating your jawline, lifting up your sagging cheeks, and bringing a more youthful appearance around your mouth.

No foreign materials. Just you, refreshed. Dr. Andrew Mather specializes in this advanced technique, helping patients in Edmonton restore youthful contours and slow the clock in the most natural way possible.

The aesthetic goal of a fat transfer procedure is to restore youthful volume and fullness to aging areas of the face.

Before & After Photos

Facial Fat Grafting Results

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After
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What is Facial Fat Grafting?

Fat grafting is a safe and eﬀective method for eliminating signs of facial aging and restoring volume using your own fat. The process has several steps, the first of which is harvesting healthy fat cells from another area of your body, such as the love handles, abdomen, thighs, or buttocks. Once extracted, the cells are purified and then injected into the facial areas that need plumping or restoration using a very fine needle. Since fat transfer uses your own fat cells, there is essentially no risk of an allergic reaction or rejection.

Natural in both appearance and approach. Fat is the substance that naturally gives your skin its volume, shape, and contours. While other filler options seek to imitate the natural effects of fat, why not opt for the real thing? Dr. Mather will carefully inject the fat into your face in a way that mimics natural fat distribution, resulting in a completely natural look. This approach differs from other techniques that can make it obvious that a procedure has been performed. Furthermore, although synthetic fillers are demonstrably safe and biocompatible, some of our patients are uncomfortable with the idea of introducing synthetic materials into their bodies; fat grafting offers an all-natural alternative.

While many people choose to smooth lines and wrinkles or add volume to their cheeks or other facial areas with synthetic dermal fillers, this process involves the use of your own natural fat to achieve a younger, more rejuvenated appearance that can be permanent, rather than only lasting months with traditional injectable fillers.

Typical areas treated include:

Thin lips
Check bones
Dark circles under the eyes
Hollow orbits and tear trough
Smile and marionette lines
Temporal hollows

Who Are the Best Candidates For Facial Fat Grafting?

If your face has lost volume and definition, especially around the eyes, temples, and cheeks, you may be a good candidate for facial fat grafting. It’s especially ideal for people who want a more natural, longer-lasting alternative to dermal fillers. Dr. Mather also often recommends this procedure for patients undergoing facial rejuvenation surgery, like a facelift or blepharoplasty, to enhance results and improve harmony.

What Are the Benefits of Facial Fat Grafting?

Permanent Results: Unlike temporary dermal ﬁllers that are reabsorbed into the body, fat transfers, though not considered a permanent solution, result in long-lasting improvements. Injected fat cells are nourished by the body and become living, permanent tissue. By about three months after the procedure, the results obtained can be considered permanent. Repeated injections may be necessary at times, depending on the goals of treatment.
Stem Cells and Their Beneﬁts: Fat harvested from your own body has the unique advantage of containing revitalizing stem cells. Stem cells are capable of changing into diﬀerent types of cells in the body, both replacing and repairing surrounding cells. These stem cells rejuvenate the face from the inside out for long-lasting, youthful results.
The “two birds with one stone” eﬀect: Who hasn’t joked that they wished they could somehow take the fat from their thighs or stomach and place it somewhere else on their body? Well, now you can. The nature of the fat grafting process lends itself to dual benefits, as fat is both removed through liposuction or a similar procedure from the harvest site and then used to restore volume where it has been lost due to aging.

What’s the First Step?

Everything starts with a personal consultation with Dr. Mather. He’ll take the time to understand your concerns, evaluate your facial anatomy, and create a tailored treatment plan that aligns with your aesthetic goals. Because every face—and every fat graft—is unique, this one-on-one session is essential. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of what the procedure entails, the results you can expect, and how Dr. Mather’s surgical expertise sets him apart in Edmonton.

What to Expect on the Day of Facial Fat Grafting Surgery

After prepping the donor area (where the fat is harvested), you’ll receive either local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthetic, depending on your comfort level. Dr. Mather uses meticulous techniques to extract, purify, and then artistically reinject the fat into the areas of your face that need volume.

Facial Fat Grafting Recovery

Most patients only need a couple of days to recover. You’ll notice some swelling, mild bruising, and tenderness around both the donor and treatment sites. But it’s manageable and often described as more “puffy” than painful. Within a few days, swelling begins to fade, and you’ll gradually see the new contours emerge. Avoid strenuous activity for 14 days, and be patient—your final results will settle over the next few months as the transferred fat cells take root and thrive.

How Much Does Facial Fat Grafting Cost in Edmonton, Alberta?

In Edmonton, Alberta, facial fat grafting is dependent on the extent of volume restoration and whether it’s performed alone or combined with other facial procedures.

During your consultation, you’ll receive a personalized quote that reflects your goals and Dr. Mather’s individualized surgical plan. Financing options may also be available to make the process more accessible.

Our Ethos

Why Choose Dr. Mather?

Dr. Andrew Mather is one of Edmonton’s most respected facial aging specialists, with over 15 years of experience dedicated solely to procedures of the head and neck. As the only surgeon in Alberta performing deep plane facelifts and ultrasonic rhinoplasty, he brings a level of surgical finesse that’s simply unmatched. His approach to facial fat grafting is meticulous and modern, blending artistic precision with scientifically advanced techniques. Whether restoring volume to hollowed cheeks or refining delicate under-eye contours, Dr. Mather creates results that feel as natural as they look — because they are. Patients come to him for refined, long-lasting outcomes and a level of facial expertise that’s rarely found anywhere else.

Facial Fat Grafting FAQ’S

To harvest fat during facial fat grafting, a specialized cannula (tiny hollow needle) is employed. The size of the extracted fat cells is a crucial factor in determining their future viability when transferred to a new location. The suction used in the process is very gentle, resulting in fewer cells being damaged during the extraction process. It will be harvested from an area of the body with excess fatty deposits, such as thighs, buttocks, or love handles.
For many of our Edmonton patients, a single fat grafting session is often sufficient to achieve the desired results. However, because not all transferred fat survives the process (typically about 60 to 80% of the fat remains long-term), a touch-up procedure may be recommended 6–12 months later to refine the outcome or enhance volume in specific areas.

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Schedule Your Consultation

Your next chapter starts with a conversation. Contact Dr. Andrew Mather, a Facial Cosmetic Surgeon in Edmonton, today at (780) 249-3838 to schedule your private consultation. You deserve a surgeon who sees the art in facial rejuvenation—and delivers results that look like you, only better.