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Dr. Joseph T. Cruise, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Newport Beach, CA, specializes in facial rejuvenation. Fat transfer, also known as fat grafting, is one of his favorite procedures to either complete a facelift or to perform on its own.
Dr. Cruise wants all his patients to make informed decisions about their cosmetic surgery choices, which is why he and his staff have dedicated these pages to providing the kind of information that patients routinely ask for in consultations. Browse through Dr. Cruise’s answers to some of patients’ most frequently asked questions, and view the before and after fat transfer pictures to see real results from some of Dr. Cruise's Orange County patients.
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For years, the best plastic surgeons have struggled to fill wrinkles, laugh lines, sunken eye areas, and cheeks of patients concerned with the volume loss that occurs through aging. Although many substances can be used to provide some amount of benefits, some offer only temporary success, while others are permanent but don’t provide the natural texture or look patients want. As one of the top surgeons in Orange County, Dr. Cruise has experience with a number of soft tissue fillers and knows how to help patients choose which one is right to address their concerns.
Fat transplant is the latest technique that Dr. Joseph Cruise and other top Newport Beach plastic surgeons are using to achieve natural, lasting results. The procedure uses a person’s own fat, harvested through liposuction of a problem area somewhere on the body, so the results are permanent and safe, with few side effects from this fat transfer procedure.
Fat transfer has been performed since the early 1970s. However, the techniques used at the time didn’t provide patients the same fullness in their areas of concern that today’s liposuction techniques can deliver. The improved methods of gentle handling, filtering, and chemical alteration allow Dr. Cruise and his professional staff to provide fat grafting patients the kind of lasting results they are looking for.
Fat transfer was not recognized as valuable until plastic surgeons became more knowledgeable about the causes of the signs of facial aging. It was once believed that wrinkles, sagging skin, and a gaunt appearance associated with aging were only caused by stretched skin. However, cosmetic surgeons now realize that facial aging is also caused by fat and muscle descent and volume loss. The best procedure that Cruise Plastic Surgery has found for facial rejuvenation, which best corrects a number of the concerns of aging, is fat transfer to the face. Fat injection allows patients to recapture their youthful appearance, rejuvenating patients’ sunken eyes, deep cheek folds, crow’s feet, and other facial concerns.
You can see the importance of facial fat in the adorable cheeks of a baby or a successful model; high cheekbones and full cheeks are associated with facial youth. In order to rejuvenate this look, Dr. Cruise uses fat transfer to restore fatty tissue that disappears or descends with time. By replacing this fat, the effects of aging can be reversed and certain facial features accentuated and restored.
With age, cheek fat descends, giving a gaunt appearance to the eyes, cheeks, lips, and jawline. The ideal facial shape is triangular, but with age, the fallen fat creates a rectangular shape. Fat injection, as a facial rejuvenation procedure, allows patients to restore the shape and fullness of their youthful appearance.
Facial fat transfer is performed as an outpatient procedure, typically under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia, depending on the areas being treated. Dr. Cruise begins by gently removing fat from the donor site using liposuction. The harvested fat is then carefully purified to isolate healthy, viable fat cells.
Once prepared, the fat is meticulously injected into the target areas using small cannulas. Dr. Cruise takes special care to layer the fat gradually and symmetrically, sculpting a natural, youthful shape that enhances facial balance without looking overfilled.
The entire procedure usually takes 1 to 2 hours. Patients return home the same day with a custom recovery plan and follow-up care from the Cruise Plastic Surgery team.
Facial fat loss can affect the entire face, leading to changes that are difficult to correct with skin tightening alone. Fat transfer can improve:
In addition to restoring volume, fat transfer can improve skin quality over time thanks to the regenerative potential of stem cells found in fat.
You may be a good candidate for facial fat transfer if you:
Fat transfer may not be recommended if you have significant skin laxity, active acne, or very low body fat. In some cases, it may be combined with a facelift, eyelid surgery, or other facial procedures for more comprehensive rejuvenation.
Most patients experience swelling and bruising in both the donor and recipient areas for about 7 to 10 days. Keeping the head elevated, avoiding strenuous activity, and following Dr. Cruise’s aftercare instructions help promote smooth healing.
Some minor asymmetry or unevenness is common during the healing process as the fat settles. Dr. Cruise and his team provide close follow-up care and guidance during the recovery process to ensure the best long-term outcome. Final results are typically visible by 3 to 6 months after surgery, once the transferred fat has stabilized.
Recovering After Fat Transfer
"80% of your results come from surgery, 20% from aftercare"
Facial fat transfer creates subtle, natural-looking enhancements that become more refined as the swelling subsides. Patients often say they look softer, healthier, and more like themselves—just refreshed.
Because some of the transferred fat is reabsorbed by the body, Dr. Cruise may slightly overcorrect during the procedure to account for this expected change. With healthy lifestyle habits and a stable weight, results can last for many years, making fat transfer one of the most durable facial rejuvenation options available.
Some of Dr. Cruise’s Orange County cosmetic surgery patients are concerned about the effects that aging has on their neck as well as their face.
If there are other causes besides the loss of facial fat that are leading to an aged appearance, Dr. Cruise may recommend other facial rejuvenation procedures such as a facelift or neck lift to best address your individual concerns.
Dr. Cruise meets with each patient individually at a consultation in his Newport Beach plastic surgery office. During this meeting, you will have an opportunity to discuss with him all your concerns and discover the best procedures for meeting your unique conditions.
In order to make these pages as convenient for patients as possible, Joseph T Cruise, MD, has provided detailed answers to many of patients’ most common questions, including:
The type of procedure you choose depends on your specific face, concerns with the effects of aging, and desired results. Fat transfer has many advantages over soft tissue fillers, but may not be the best choice for you.
Facial fat transfer restores lost volume, helping to soften wrinkles and improve facial contours. While it can reduce the appearance of some lines and provide a subtle lift, it doesn’t tighten loose skin and isn’t a substitute for a facelift in cases of significant skin laxity. Dr. Cruise may recommend combining fat transfer with other facial procedures for the most comprehensive, natural-looking results.
Typically, fat injection can be done in the office under local anesthesia. Often, it is combined with other facial procedures.
Because each fat transfer procedure is highly personalized, costs can vary. Once you have had a consultation with Dr. Cruise, we can provide you with an accurate quote for your fat transfer procedure. We accept several forms of financing including Prosper Lending, Care Credit, and Alphaeon Credit.
