Is a Periorbital Fat Transfer Painful?

Many of our patients do not report significant discomfort, and the majority use only Tylenol as needed. Prescription pain medicine is available to you, and we recommend keeping it on hand in case it is needed.

How Many Appointments Will I Need?

Most patients achieve their desired results after one treatment, though a small percentage choose a touch-up session after several months for fine adjustments. You’ll have follow-up appointments to ensure proper healing and assess the final result.

How Long Until I See Results?

Initial swelling can make the face appear fuller right after surgery. As the swelling subsides and the grafted fat integrates with your natural tissues, your final results will emerge over 2–3 months. Once stabilized, the results are long-lasting and age naturally with you.

Can I Combine a Periorbital Fat Transfer With Other Procedures?

Yes. Fat transfer pairs beautifully with other facial rejuvenation surgeries such as facelift, neck lift, blepharoplasty, or brow lift to enhance overall balance and smooth transitions between treated areas. It can also be performed alongside skin resurfacing or laser treatments for comprehensive rejuvenation.

What Are the Risks Associated With a Periorbital Fat Transfer?

Facial fat transfer is very safe when performed by an experienced facial plastic surgeon, but potential risks include bruising, swelling, infection, irregular contouring, or partial fat absorption. In rare cases, cysts or asymmetry can occur. Dr. Kolstad minimizes these risks through precise technique, sterile handling, and careful placement of fat to ensure smooth, natural integration.

What is the Difference Between Fat Transfer and Radiesse, Restylane, Juvederm & Voluma?

1) Injectable fillers can be placed directly into the skin without causing unevenness or lumps. Fillers are better for very superficial smile lines, shallow acne scars, and early volume loss. A) Very superficial smile lines are highlighted in yellow. B) After treatment with Juvederm. *Individual Results May Vary. Lipografts cannot be placed directly into the skin without causing some degree of unevenness. Fat transfer is used to soften deep shadows and folds. 2) The most important difference between injectable fillers and nonsurgical fat transfer is the longevity of the results. Depending on the location, facial fillers can last anywhere from 6 to 14 months. After your body resorbs the filler, you will need to return to the doctor for a repeat procedure. In contrast, lipotransfer is considered a natural volumizer. The same fat cells that seem never to go away from your waistline, hips, and thighs can be artistically placed throughout your face. Once incorporated into the tissues beneath the skin, the transferred adipocytes do not resorb over time and do not need to be replaced. 3) Another difference between lipotransfer and injectable fillers is downtime. Facial fat transfer is a surgical procedure. There will be swelling and bruising, and it will take a bit of time for the results to mature. If you need a quick fix and can get back to work the same day, injectable fillers are the better option. If you are looking for a long-lasting way to soften folds and lines and are willing to take a small bit of downtime, fat transfer might be a better option

What is the Difference Between Fat Transfer and Sculptra?

Sculptra is a unique filler used to restore volume throughout the entire face. Rather than treating specific folds, Sculptra is placed throughout the cheeks, jawline, and temples. Sculptra is a long-lasting volumizer lasting up to 3 years. Many people will require 4-9 vials of Sculptra to achieve the desired results, with treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart. Fat transfer can also restore volume throughout the entire face. Facial fat transfer is used throughout the cheeks, jawline, and temples. Lipotransfer is considered a natural volumizer, and the results can be achieved over a single session.

Does Fat Transfer Always Require Surgery?

Small-volume fat transfer is safe to perform in the office using local anesthesia and light sedation. When large volumes are grafted, it is advantageous to perform in a surgical setting.

Will I Have A “Plastic Look” After San Diego Fat Transfer Surgery?

A frequent concern of our patients is looking plastic after surgery. There are limitless examples of unnatural, operated results. It is very important to choose a plastic surgeon in San Diego who specializes in operating on the face and is comfortable with the challenging anatomy and procedures.

How Long Does It Take To Recover From Fat Transfer Surgery?

Most people take about 3 days off from work to recover. By the third day, the majority of the swelling has resolved, and any residual bruising can be camouflaged with makeup.

San Diego & La Jolla, CA

Periorbital Fat Transfer

Name: Kolstad Facial Plastic Surgery
Brand: Kolstad Facial Plastic Surgery
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (95 reviews)

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Periorbital Fat Transfer San Diego

Volume loss is one of the most significant and visible signs of facial aging. Over time, the natural fat beneath the skin diminishes, leaving the cheeks, temples, and lower face looking hollow or deflated. Facial fat transfer is a restorative procedure that reverses this process by replenishing lost volume using your body’s own natural fat. At Kolstad Facial Plastic Surgery in San Diego, Dr. Kolstad performs fat grafting to enhance facial fullness, smooth wrinkles, and restore youthful contour without the need for synthetic fillers. The result is a natural, refreshed appearance that ages gracefully with you.

With so many facelift surgeons in San Diego, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Dr. Kolstad is a Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon who focuses exclusively on the face and neck rather than breast or body procedures. By dedicating his practice entirely to facial rejuvenation, Dr. Kolstad is able to create a facelift tailored to your anatomy, features, and aesthetic goals.

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What is a Periorbital Fat Transfer?

Facial fat transfer involves removing small amounts of fat from various areas around the body and transplanting it to areas of the face that have lost volume. After purification, the fat is carefully injected into targeted zones such as the cheeks, marionette lines, jawline, and under-eye hollows.

Unwanted fat can be removed from the abdomen, thighs, or hips. After cleaning and purifying the fat cells, they can be grafted into areas of the face deficient in volume. When artistically sculpted throughout the face, fat transfer creates a fuller, healthier, more youthful look. Because this fat is harvested from your own body, it is naturally incorporated into the face, producing long-lasting results.

What Are the Benefits of a Periorbital Fat Transfer?

Facial fat transfer restores youthful fullness while rejuvenating skin quality through the regenerative properties of fat-derived stem cells. Patients often notice smoother skin texture, softer wrinkles, and a healthy glow that fillers alone cannot replicate. The procedure can treat multiple areas in a single session, improving the overall harmony and balance of the face.

Additional benefits include:

Natural, long-lasting results without synthetic materials
Minimal scarring, as injections use only tiny entry points
Comprehensive rejuvenation, ideal for enhancing cheeks, jawline, and under-eye areas

Because the fat becomes a living part of your facial structure, results can last for many years.

Why Choose Dr. Kolstad?

Dr. Kolstad’s analytic approach distinguishes him from his San Diego colleagues. He believes in a customized approach tailored to your facial features and goals. Dr. Kolstad understands that there is as much artistry as science in facial rejuvenation. He has spent years dedicating his career to the rejuvenation of the face and neck. Rather than performing facial, breast, and body procedures, Dr. Kolstad’s practice is fully dedicated to facial plastic surgery.

Dr. Kolstad learned his technique from one of the world’s best Facial Plastic Surgeons. He spent an entire year in New York working exclusively with one of the world’s premier Facial Plastic Surgeons.

Dr Kolstad has extensive experience in a variety of techniques and will tailor your surgery to meet your specific goals. You will have the final say in determining if this is the right procedure for you.

The youthful cheek is shaped like a heart, projecting furthest at the cheekbone and tapering as it descends towards the lips. As we age, we lose fat in our cheeks and throughout the face. This leads to a deflated appearance, most evident in the midface. The cheek contour begins to resemble a “double bubble,” with a projecting cheekbone transitioning into a depression, then another projection lower in the face.

Who Are the Best Candidates For a Periorbital Fat Transfer?

The best candidates in San Diego are healthy individuals who want to restore facial volume lost due to aging, genetics, or weight changes. If you notice flattened cheeks, hollow temples, deep folds around the mouth, or thinning in the lower face, fat transfer can provide a subtle and natural improvement.

Patients should have adequate donor fat available and realistic expectations regarding recovery and results. This procedure is also ideal for those who prefer a natural alternative to facial fillers or who want to achieve more comprehensive, long-term rejuvenation.

What’s the First Step?

Your Periorbital Fat Transfer Journey with Dr. Kolstad

Customize your Periorbital Fat Transfer!

Your first step is a detailed consultation with Dr. Kolstad at his San Diego office, where he will evaluate your facial anatomy, review your concerns, and discuss which areas could benefit from added volume. Advanced imaging and visual planning tools may be used to preview potential outcomes.

You’ll also review donor site options and discuss anesthesia, recovery, and realistic expectations. Dr. Kolstad’s personalized approach ensures that every detail is customized to complement your facial features and goals.

How Long Does It Take To Recover From a Periorbital Fat Transfer?

Recovery after facial fat transfer is generally quick and manageable. Mild swelling, bruising, and tenderness are expected for the first week, but most patients return to work and light activity within one to two weeks, depending on the extent of the procedure.

The final result appears within two to three months and continues to soften over time. Dr. Kolstad provides personalized aftercare instructions to promote healing, graft survival, and long-term satisfaction.

How Much Does a Periorbital Fat Transfer Cost in San Diego, CA?

The cost of a periorbital fat transfer in San Diego varies based on the number of areas treated, the complexity of the procedure, and whether it is combined with other facial rejuvenation surgeries. Exact costs are determined during your consultation.

Because the results are long-lasting, many patients find fat transfer a more cost-effective option than repeated filler sessions. During your visit, our team will provide a customized quote and review available financing options if you’d like.