Facelift or Facial Fat Transfer: Which Should I Choose?

You look in the mirror and don’t recognise the face staring back. Sagging skin, lost volume, and deeper lines have replaced the youthful contours you remember. 

If you’re ready to reclaim a refreshed appearance, facelifts and facial fat transfer offer solutions, but which is more suitable for you?

What Is A Facelift?

Facelifts, whether traditional or minimally invasive, primarily target sagging skin, wrinkles, and jowls. 

A traditional facelift surgically tightens underlying facial muscles and tissues, while minimally invasive options use thread lifts or lasers to achieve more subtle lifting.  Facelifts are ideal for those who show moderate to severe signs of ageing who desire noticeable rejuvenation.

What Is Facial Fat Transfer?

Facial fat transfer, also known as fat grafting or autologous fat transfer, is a multi-step procedure that uses your body’s fat to achieve facial rejuvenation.

Here’s how it works:

1. Harvesting: Your surgeon performs gentle liposuction to remove a small amount of fat from your abdomen, thighs, or hips. The fat contains valuable stem cells, which allow the transferred fat to thrive in its new location.
   
2. Processing: The harvested fat is purified via a centrifuge, separating the healthy fat cells from other substances.
   
3. Injection of Fat: Using precise techniques, the surgeon carefully injects the purified fat into targeted areas of your face. These might include the cheeks, under-eye hollows, temples, lips, or areas where you’ve lost volume.

Facelift Vs. Fat Transfer: Side-by-Side Comparison

*Disclaimer: The prices provided in this article are for informational purposes only. To determine the accurate cost, schedule a consultation with Dr Jack Zoumaras from Artiste Plastic Surgery. He will be able to provide a detailed cost breakdown and personalised estimate.

Key Points To Consider

• A facelift involves much more dramatic changes. It’s an ideal procedure if you seek to address sagging skin and deep wrinkles.

• Facial fat transfer offers a subtle, natural-looking enhancement that can help restore lost volume in specific areas.

• Traditional facelifts will need 1-2 weeks of downtime, while recovery from fat transfer is usually 4-6 weeks, depending on the procedure’s intensity. In more complex cases, the recovery period can take months.

• Fat transfers are generally more affordable than facelifts, even. 

• Facial fat transfers are completed during one session. But if touch ups are needed, the surgeon should not do more than 5-10% of the original volume transferred. This is because injecting too much fat can lead to an unnatural and lumpy appearance. Additionally, some of the transferred fat will have already been naturally absorbed by the body. 

Which Is Right For Me?

Here are some questions you can ask when choosing between a facial fat transfer or a facelift:

• What is my main concern: is it sagging skin or loss of volume?
• Am I comfortable with a more extended recovery period?
• What are my expectations for how dramatic the results should be?
• How much downtime is realistic?
• What is my budget?

Choosing between facelift and facial fat transfer in Sydney depends on understanding your goals and priorities. Start by asking what change you want to see. Sagging skin and deep wrinkles point towards a facelift, while targeted volume restoration is better addressed with fat transfer.

Then, consider your lifestyle and the procedure’s practicality. How much downtime can you realistically manage? Budget also plays a role since they are generally more expensive. 

The right approach to facial rejuvenation is highly personal. There’s no single “best” solution. What works wonders for one person might not be the right choice for another. 

Understanding the basics of facial fat transfers and facelifts is a great starting point, but if you genuinely want personalised results, consult with an experienced and skilled plastic surgeon in Sydney like Dr Jack Zourmaras. 

His expertise ensures you get the most suitable treatment plan by carefully considering your unique facial structure, ageing concerns, and aesthetic goals. 

Disclaimer: At Artiste Plastic Surgery, our Plastic Surgeons led by Dr Jack Zoumaras have been trained to the highest possible degree. All surgery has risks and it is always advised to get a second opinion. Risks are very real and we cannot guarantee any result. Results are illustrated as a guide only. All risks are managed and any need for revision surgery or complications (1-5%) can be managed by our specialist plastic surgeons.

Any statements on how you will feel is based on Level V Evidence:

Level V:  How you will feel after plastic surgery varies between individuals, depending on psychological and physical factors. Our internal research is based on how patients in our practice feel after surgery.

The blogs are not a substitute for a medical consultation and do not form as part of the doctor to patient relationship.