Surgical · Body & Face
Volume restoration using your own fat — natural, soft and integrated. Performed personally by Dr Hassan Soueid for face, breasts and body.
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Hello!
Medically reviewed by Dr Hassan SoueidConsultant Cosmetic & Plastic Surgeon
Overview
Fat transfer (autologous fat grafting) takes fat from one area of your body — typically the abdomen, flanks or thighs — processes it carefully, and re-injects it into another area to add volume and refine shape. The transferred fat that survives integrates as living tissue, behaving like normal body fat for the rest of your life.
At Kensington Cosmetic Clinic fat transfer is performed personally by Dr Hassan Soueid as a stand-alone procedure or as a complement to other operations — facelift with fat transfer, breast surgery with fat transfer, body contouring with fat transfer.
Around 60–70% of transferred fat survives long-term. The 30–40% that does not survive is reabsorbed naturally over the first 3 months. We discuss this honestly at consultation — sometimes fat transfer alone is the right answer, sometimes a combination with implants or filler makes more sense.
The right indication for fat transfer is volume — soft, natural, your own tissue. The wrong indication is when you need structural change.
How it works
A diagram of the procedure. Hover any pulsing marker to see how each anatomical layer is treated by Dr Hassan.
Hover or tap any highlighted region
Illustration is anatomical only — the procedure is tailored individually at consultation.
Treated Areas
Fat transfer is versatile but not universal. Each indication has a different volume range, survival profile and combination with other procedures.
Cheeks & midface
Restores midface volume that is lost with age. Often combined with facelift surgery for a more youthful, fuller midface that supports the lower face.
Tear trough & upper face
Subtle volume restoration in the under-eye and temple hollowing — alternative to filler for patients wanting permanent volume from their own tissue.
Lips, nasolabial folds, marionette lines
Small-volume fat transfer in the lower face for patients preferring fat over filler. Survival in highly mobile areas like the lips is lower (~30–40%) — discussed honestly at consultation.
Chin & jawline
Refinement of chin projection or jawline definition using fat. Permanent alternative to filler in stable, low-movement areas.
Fat-transfer augmentation
Modest breast enlargement using fat — typically half a cup-size per session. Requires sufficient donor fat. Patients seeking larger volume may prefer implants or composite (implant + fat) augmentation.
Composite augmentation
Implant plus fat transfer — fat softens the visible upper-pole edge of the implant and produces a more natural transition. Often the right answer for thin patients.
Breast asymmetry correction
Selective fat transfer to the smaller breast for natural-feeling correction without implants on the smaller side.
Buttock fat transfer (BBL)
The largest-volume fat transfer indication. Typically 200–500 ml per side, performed under ultrasound guidance at the safe subcutaneous level only.
Hip dip correction
Selective fat transfer to lateral hip dips for a smoother hip-to-thigh transition.
Hand rejuvenation
Fat transfer to the back of the hands — restores volume and softens the appearance of veins and tendons that become more prominent with age.
Candidate
Benefits at KCC
Investment
Every patient is different — the area, technique and number of stages shape the plan. We share full pricing during your private consultation, after Dr Hassan or your treating clinician has reviewed your goals in person.
Before
Preparation is similar to liposuction since fat transfer always involves a liposuction component.
Choice
Fat and filler both add volume — but they are different tools for different jobs.
Option 1
Permanent volume from your own tissue. Soft, integrated and natural-feeling. Requires a surgical procedure with downtime. Best for larger-volume indications and patients who want a one-and-done permanent change.
Option 2
Temporary volume from injectable hyaluronic acid. Reversible (dissolvable with hyaluronidase). Smaller volumes per session. No downtime. Best for testing volume goals or for patients not ready for surgery.
Many patients use filler first to test the look they want, then move to fat transfer when they are confident about volume and shape.
The Treatment
Two consultations standard. The first reviews donor fat availability, recipient indications and survival expectations. The second confirms consent and operative plan.
Performed under general anaesthetic for larger volumes (BBL, breast) or local anaesthetic for smaller indications (face, hands). Operative time 1.5–4 hours.
Most patients are discharged the same day. First review at 24 hours.
Step by Step
Fat transfer is your own tissue, integrated permanently in the proportion that survives. Here is the path from consultation to settled result.
01 · The Consultation
Donor-fat availability and recipient-area indications reviewed. Honest survival expectations: ~70% in face/cheeks, ~60–70% in breasts/buttocks, ~30–40% in lips. Photography from five views. Sometimes the right answer is implant + fat; sometimes filler instead.
02 · Preparation
Six weeks smoking-free — non-negotiable for fat survival. Two weeks off blood-thinners. Stable weight maintained. Compression garment for the donor area bought ahead. Seven to fourteen days of social downtime depending on the case.
03 · The Procedure
Performed personally by Dr Hassan. General anaesthetic for larger cases (BBL, breast); local for smaller (face, hands). Low-pressure liposuction harvest, gentle decant or centrifuge processing, multi-deposit re-injection through fine cannulas — all to maximise survival.
04 · Recovery & Aftercare
Compression on donor areas for six weeks. No direct pressure on recipient areas for two weeks. Lymphatic drainage from week one. Most swelling resolves by six weeks; fat survival fully determined by month three; final result at six.
After
Aftercare protects both the donor area (treat like liposuction) and the recipient area (avoid pressure on the new fat).
Results
Fat transfer results unfold over 3–6 months as the transfer stabilises.
Questions
Survival depends on the area: face/cheeks ~70%, breasts and buttocks ~60–70%, lips and very mobile areas ~30–40%. Survival also depends on technique — low-pressure harvest, gentle processing, and small-volume diffuse injection all improve survival. We discuss expected survival honestly at consultation.
The transferred fat behaves like normal body fat. Major weight loss after fat transfer will reduce volume; major weight gain can affect proportion. Stable weight after surgery preserves the result indefinitely.
It depends on the area and the technique. Facial and breast fat transfer have very good safety records. Buttock fat transfer (BBL) historically had the highest mortality of any cosmetic operation due to deep intramuscular injection — at KCC we perform only subcutaneous-level transfer under ultrasound guidance, which is substantially safer.
Sufficient donor fat is essential. Very lean patients may have insufficient fat for meaningful transfer — particularly for breasts or buttocks. Honest assessment at consultation. Sometimes a different operation (implants for breasts, filler for face) is the right answer.
Yes — frequently. Facelift + fat transfer is one of the most powerful combinations for facial rejuvenation. Breast augmentation + fat transfer (composite) softens the implant edge. BBL almost always involves liposuction of multiple body areas. We discuss the right combination for your goals at consultation.
Filler is hyaluronic acid — temporary, reversible, no downtime, smaller volumes. Fat transfer is your own tissue — permanent (in the proportion that survives), one operation with recovery, larger volumes possible. They are complementary tools, not direct competitors.
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