[VIBE Plastic Surgery] The Real Reason Why Facial Fat Grafting is Recommended with Rhinoplasty

When receiving a consultation for rhinoplasty, many patients are often advised to undergo fat grafting as well!

Initially, you might only be interested in rhinoplasty and feel a bit overwhelmed, thinking, ‘Why is this being suggested?’

Today, let’s take some time to explore why fat grafting is frequently recommended alongside rhinoplasty :)

Why recommend rhinoplasty and fat grafting together?

The reason for getting rhinoplasty is not just for the frontal effect, but also to achieve a beautiful profile when viewed from the side.

However, if the forehead lacks volume or the temples are sunken, the balance of the face’s three-dimensionality can be compromised. To achieve a harmonious sense of volume across the entire face, clinics sometimes recommend these two procedures together.

What is facial fat grafting?

Most fat grafting procedures, including those for the face, involve harvesting fat from the thighs or abdomen. The harvested fat is then separated and purified before being injected into the necessary areas.

In the case of facial fat grafting, a relatively small amount can produce significant results. Since the procedure uses your own autologous fat to restore volume, it has the advantage of being performed without the worry of foreign body rejection.

The most important factor in fat grafting is the ‘engraftment rate,’ which refers to how much of the injected fat successfully survives and settles in the new location. While it varies by individual, the average engraftment rate is typically around 30–40%.

How to increase the engraftment rate?

I would first like to emphasize that the best way to increase the engraftment rate is to have the fat meticulously harvested and transplanted by a highly skilled medical professional. How carefully and delicately the fat is grafted is crucial.

Additionally, for those who feel they need more volume in certain areas after recovery, a second round of fat grafting can be performed.

While fat harvested during the first surgery can be frozen, thawed, and re-injected, VIBE Plastic Surgery uses ‘fresh fat’ even for the second session to improve engraftment rates and reduce the risk of infection or calcification.

Furthermore, mixing high-concentration PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) can further boost the engraftment rate and provide additional benefits such as improved skin tone and elasticity.

What are the side effects of fat grafting?

Potential side effects of fat grafting include unevenness in the area where fat was harvested, or the injected fat clumping together, which can lead to cysts, necrosis, oil formation, or calcification.

However, if the fat is injected finely using a cannula, clumping is unlikely to occur, significantly reducing the risk of these side effects. Even if clumping does occur, it can be relatively easily resolved with injections that break down the lumps!

For larger lumps, VIBE Plastic Surgery utilizes ‘LipoSound’ technology to dissolve and remove them. The key takeaway is that facial fat grafting generally has a low incidence of side effects, and since VIBE Plastic Surgery uses fresh fat even for the second session, you don’t need to worry excessively :)

In this post, we’ve briefly looked into fat grafting. For successful results, the touch of an experienced medical professional is essential. If you approach fat grafting not just as a secondary procedure to rhinoplasty, but as a primary surgery for your transformation, you will be able to achieve a more beautiful and vibrant appearance :)

Thank you!