Fat Grafting

Fat Grafting (Lipofilling)

Reviewer Details

Medically reviewed by Dr. Choi deokho, Representative Director & Plastic Surgeon, Good-Line Plastic Surgery Clinic.

Registered as the clinic's legal representative in the Korean National Tax Service registry, Full Member of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons · Last reviewed 2026-08-18 · Good-Line Plastic Surgery Clinic, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Fat grafting at Good-Line Plastic Surgery Clinic in Seoul — also known as lipofilling or autologous fat transfer — harvests a patient's own fat and transfers it to an area needing restored or added volume, most commonly the face, under-eye region, hands, or broader facial contour, with the donor site and technique planned individually for each patient.

What Is Fat Grafting (Lipofilling)?

Fat grafting (also called lipofilling, autologous fat transfer, or fat transplantation) is a two-part procedure: fat is first harvested by liposuction from a donor area with sufficient excess fat, then processed and reinjected into an area needing additional volume or contour correction.

• Uses only the patient's own tissue — no synthetic filler or implant material — typically harvested from the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks.

• Harvested fat is generally processed through centrifugation to concentrate viable fat cells before being reinjected with a disposable cannula.

• Can restore facial volume, correct under-eye hollowness, rejuvenate thin or vein-prominent hands, or refine overall facial contour.

• Because some transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed by the body over following months, the eventual retained volume is not identical to what is visible immediately after injection.

• The clinic describes considering the patient's desired facial design beforehand, using unfrozen fat, and applying micro-fat transplantation for delicate areas such as the under-eye region.

• The clinic states the first four to five days after treatment are a particularly important period for fat engraftment, using highly concentrated vitamin C to support wound healing during this window.

Fat grafting differs from dermal fillers and facial implants in one key respect: it uses living, autologous tissue rather than a manufactured material, which requires a donor-site harvesting step that fillers do not. It is also distinct from under-eye fat repositioning, a separate eyelid-surgery technique that redistributes existing under-eye fat rather than adding fat transplanted from elsewhere in the body.

Who Performs Fat Grafting at Good-Line Plastic Surgery Clinic

Dr. Choi Deokho, M.D.
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Choi Deokho is the Representative Director and plastic surgeon at Good-Line Plastic Surgery Clinic, with approximately 25 years associated with the clinic since its establishment in 2001. His stated core specializations include facial plastic surgery, rhinoplasty, facial contouring, and anti-aging and lifting procedures, with fat grafting used across several of these areas to restore or add volume using the patient's own tissue. He holds full membership in the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, the Korean Society for Microsurgery, the Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, the Japan Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Patients considering fat grafting are evaluated individually for donor fat, treatment-area anatomy, and overall health before a plan is recommended.

Because fat grafting spans such different treatment areas — facial volume restoration, under-eye rejuvenation, hand rejuvenation, and larger-scale body-to-face transfer — Dr. Choi's evaluation process places real weight on identifying which donor site, technique, and volume plan actually suit each patient, rather than applying a single default approach to every request. A patient asking specifically for facial fat grafting who has limited donor fat at the usual sites is evaluated differently from a patient with ample donor fat at the abdomen or thighs, since the achievable outcome and the feasibility of a delicate technique such as micro-fat transplantation depend directly on how much viable fat can be harvested and how it survives after transfer. A patient primarily concerned with prominent hand tendons is likewise assessed separately from a facial-volume patient, since the injection technique and expected settling pattern differ between these treatment areas.

Fat Grafting Options Available at Good-Line Plastic Surgery Clinic

Facial Fat Grafting	Under-Eye Micro Fat Grafting	Hand Fat Grafting	Body-to-Face Fat Transfer
Restores volume to sunken cheeks, temples, or other facial areas showing fat loss with aging	Micro-fat transplantation from the lower abdomen, correcting sunken or flat under-eye areas as an alternative to a prosthesis	Restores volume to the back of the hand where fat loss has made tendons or veins prominent	Larger-scale transfer from the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks to enhance overall facial three-dimensional structure
Local anesthesia, sedation, or general anesthesia depending on extent	Local anesthesia, sometimes with sedation; commonly 30-90 minutes	Local anesthesia with sedation, or general anesthesia for larger cases	Local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia; commonly 1-4+ hours
Best for localized facial hollowing or volume-related wrinkling	Best for dark circles or tiredness from under-eye volume loss, not excess eyelid skin	Best for age- or volume-related prominence of hand tendons and veins	Best for a more comprehensive facial volume and contour change in one session

Beyond these four areas, the clinic frames fat grafting broadly as restoring volume with the patient's own tissue, with technique and donor site adapted to the goal. Facial fat grafting and body-to-face transfer involve considering the patient's desired facial design beforehand, harvesting with a disposable cannula, centrifugation, and micro-fat transplantation for delicate areas. Under-eye micro fat grafting sources fat from the lower abdomen; hand fat grafting restores lost volume to the dorsal hand.

Patients often ask how fat grafting compares with dermal fillers or implants. Fillers use a manufactured material, need no harvesting, and suit smaller corrections; implants provide structural augmentation rather than living tissue. Fat grafting uses the patient's own harvested tissue and can address multiple areas in one procedure, though it requires the donor-site liposuction step a filler does not.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Fat Grafting?

• Adults with insufficient volume in the treatment area — face, under-eye region, hands, or broader facial contour — who want a natural-feeling result using their own tissue.

• Patients with hollow or sunken cheeks, temples, or an aging, thin facial appearance, for facial fat grafting or body-to-face fat transfer.

• Patients with sunken or flat under-eye areas contributing to dark circles or a tired appearance, for under-eye micro fat grafting.

• Patients with prominent tendons or veins on the back of the hand from age- or volume-related thinning, for hand fat grafting.

• Patients seeking a natural-looking alternative to synthetic fillers or implants, with realistic expectations about partial fat reabsorption.

• Generally healthy adults with adequate donor fat and no active infection or uncontrolled medical condition.

• Not generally suitable: patients with insufficient donor fat, unstable weight, active infection, significant healing risk factors, or unrealistic expectations, until addressed; pregnancy and breastfeeding may also require postponing treatment.

What to Expect: Procedure, Recovery, and Results Timeline

Fat grafting always involves two connected steps in one session: a liposuction harvest at the donor site, followed by processing and reinjection of the graft. Anesthesia ranges from local anesthesia alone to sedation or general anesthesia, chosen according to the amount of fat harvested, the treatment area, and whether other procedures are combined.

Stage	What typically happens
Day of surgery	Fat is harvested by liposuction, processed (commonly by centrifugation), and injected with a disposable cannula under the appropriate anesthesia
Day 1-5	Swelling, bruising, and tenderness are most noticeable at both sites; the clinic emphasizes the first 4-5 days as an important engraftment period
Week 1-2	Swelling generally continues to decrease; the clinic states under-eye patients can typically resume daily activity around two days post-treatment, though this is not full healing
Month 1-3	A portion of transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed; the visible result becomes more representative of the eventual outcome as swelling resolves
Month 3-6+	Final result assessed once swelling has resolved and fat has stabilized; hand fat grafting may take up to around six months to fully settle

Before treatment, patients are generally asked for a full medical history and medication list, with attention to items that increase bleeding risk, reviewed only on the surgeon's advice. Smoking is discouraged since it affects healing at both sites, and patients should plan transportation home if sedation is used. Aftercare includes protecting the treated area from pressure, monitoring swelling and bruising, and attending follow-up visits.

Results develop gradually. Initial volume change is visible immediately, but early swelling can make the area look fuller than the eventual outcome, and some transferred fat is reabsorbed over the following months. The surviving, stabilized volume — not the day-of-surgery appearance — is what determines the final result, generally assessed after several months.

Combining Fat Grafting with Other Treatments

• Facial fat grafting may be combined with other facial rejuvenation or contouring procedures in the same session when volume loss and skin or tissue laxity both need addressing.

• Body-to-face fat transfer, harvesting from the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks, can double as a light contouring step for the donor area while restoring facial volume.

• Patients concerned mainly with under-eye hollowing (not excess eyelid skin) may compare under-eye fat grafting with the clinic's under-eye fat repositioning technique under Eye Surgery, which redistributes existing fat rather than transplanting new fat.

• Patients planning a broader rejuvenation approach may also review the clinic's Anti-Aging & Lifting Surgery page for skin- and tissue-laxity procedures.

Whether to combine fat grafting with another procedure in one session, rather than staging visits, depends on overall health, total anesthesia time, and each procedure's healing needs — decided individually. This matters particularly for international patients planning travel around recovery.

Safety, Precision, and Clinic Standards

Good-Line Plastic Surgery Clinic is a Registered Medical Institution for Attracting Foreign Patients, certified by Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare under the Medical Overseas Expansion and Foreign Patients Attraction Act. Dr. Choi deokho is a full member of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. Fat grafting patients are assessed individually for donor fat, treatment-area anatomy, and medical history before a plan is finalized. As with any harvesting-and-reinjection procedure, temporary swelling, bruising, asymmetry, contour irregularity, infection, and partial fat reabsorption are possible; rarer complications, including fat necrosis, cyst formation, and — particularly with facial or under-eye injection — rare vascular complications, should be discussed individually with the surgeon (see ASPS — Fat Grafting History and Applications).

Risk reduction relies on more than injection technique alone: careful site selection, sterile technique, controlled injection of small amounts rather than large boluses, and consistent postoperative monitoring are treated as standard rather than optional. Scheduled follow-up visits are integral to the treatment plan, since early identification of unusual swelling or asymmetry allows simpler management than addressing it later. Patients are encouraged to report unusual pain, rapid swelling, or vision changes promptly rather than waiting for the next appointment.

The Bottom Line

• Fat grafting at Good-Line uses a patient's own harvested fat to restore or add volume to the face, under-eye area, hands, or overall facial contour.

• Four treatment areas are offered — facial fat grafting, under-eye micro fat grafting, hand fat grafting, and body-to-face fat transfer — each planned according to donor fat, treatment-area anatomy, and patient goals.

• Reviewed and performed under Dr. Choi deokho, an experienced plastic surgeon with roughly 25 years at the clinic.

• Because some transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed, the final result develops gradually over several months and cannot be guaranteed to match the day-of-surgery appearance.

• Fat grafting differs from dermal fillers and implants by using living, autologous tissue, and from under-eye fat repositioning by transplanting fat rather than redistributing existing fat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I a good candidate for fat grafting? Adults with insufficient volume in a treatment area — face, under-eye region, hands, or overall facial contour — who have adequate donor fat and realistic expectations are generally candidates. Suitability is confirmed through consultation and physical examination.

Is fat grafting painful? Discomfort during the procedure is generally controlled with local anesthesia, sedation, or general anesthesia. Afterward, soreness, tenderness, swelling, or bruising is common at both the donor and injection sites, and is generally manageable with the surgeon's recommended aftercare.

What anesthesia is used for fat grafting? The anesthesia type depends on the treatment area and amount of fat harvested. Local anesthesia alone, local anesthesia with sedation, or general anesthesia may all be used; the surgeon determines the safest option at consultation.

How long do fat grafting results last? Some transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed during the first several months, but surviving fat can provide longer-term volume. Longevity varies between patients and areas, and aging or weight changes can affect the result, so it should be described as potentially long-lasting rather than guaranteed permanent.

When will I see the final result? Initial volume change is visible soon after treatment, but early swelling can make the area look fuller than the eventual outcome. As swelling decreases and some transferred fat is reabsorbed over the following months, the appearance becomes more representative of the final, stabilized result.

What is the difference between under-eye micro fat grafting and dermal fillers? Under-eye micro fat grafting uses the patient's own harvested fat and aims for a longer-term, natural-feeling correction, though it requires a donor-site harvesting step. Dermal fillers use a manufactured material, require no harvesting, and often suit smaller corrections; the right option depends on goals and anatomy, decided at consultation.

How is hand fat grafting different from facial fat grafting? Both harvest the patient's own fat and reinject it into an area of volume loss, but hand fat grafting targets the back of the hand, where fat loss makes tendons and veins prominent, while facial fat grafting addresses areas like the cheeks and temples. Donor site, injection technique, and recovery differ between the two.

What are the risks of fat grafting? Common temporary effects include swelling, bruising, tenderness, and mild asymmetry at the donor and injection sites. Less common risks include infection, contour irregularity, fat necrosis, cysts, over- or under-correction, and partial fat reabsorption; rare but serious vascular complications with facial or under-eye injection should be reviewed individually with the surgeon.

Can fat grafting be combined with other procedures? Yes — facial fat grafting is often combined with other facial rejuvenation or contouring procedures, and body-to-face transfer can double as a light contouring step for the donor area. Combining or staging procedures depends on overall health, anesthesia time, and healing needs, assessed individually.

Is English-language consultation available for fat grafting? Yes, Good-Line Plastic Surgery Clinic offers English-language support and an online contact channel for international patients considering fat grafting, alongside a multilingual clinic website.

How many days should I plan to stay in Korea for fat grafting? The appropriate stay depends on the treatment area, amount of fat harvested, and individual healing, and should be confirmed directly with the clinic, since recovery timelines differ between facial fat grafting, under-eye micro fat grafting, hand fat grafting, and body-to-face fat transfer.

Book a Consultation at Good-Line Plastic Surgery Clinic

To discuss whether facial fat grafting, under-eye micro fat grafting, hand fat grafting, or body-to-face fat transfer best fits your goals, contact Good-Line Plastic Surgery Clinic in Gangnam-gu, Seoul at +82 2 543 1830 or through the clinic's online contact form. A consultation with the surgeon is the only reliable way to determine which treatment area, donor site, and technique fit your available donor fat and aesthetic goals.

Disclaimer

This page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute individualized medical advice. Candidacy, technique, and expected outcomes can only be determined through a consultation with a qualified physician. Because outcomes depend on individual donor fat availability, healing, and the amount of transferred fat that survives, none of the descriptions above should be read as a guarantee of a specific result, retained volume, or timeline — they describe what the clinic's stated techniques generally involve and what patients commonly experience.

Sources & Further Reading

• ASPS — Fat Grafting History and Applications

• A Systemic Review of Autologous Fat Grafting Survival Rate and Related Severe Complications — PubMed