Dr. Sam Lam Plastic Surgery Forum

Dr. Lam, does fat grafting interfere in any way with future facelifts?

absolutely not! i do fat transfers in younger patients and come back and do facelifts later in them without a problem.

Doesn't fat grafting obviate the need of a future facelift, if the only cause of aging is fat deflation not tissue descent? In your experience do fat grafted patients need face lift at the same ages as the ones that never had fat grafting?

the two are separate ideas. fat grafting is to manage volume deflation that occurs even in one's early 30s and beyond. gravity where the neck is sagging usually is not an issue until 50s and beyond and in many people with good genes and good skin not until 60s or 70s. that is why i think there are too many facelifts being performed. however, early fat transfer will not prevent or delay a facelift. a facelift is a problem with the neck and jowls (although the jowls can be partially affected with fat grafting so that is the only somewhat of a fact that a facelift in that regard could be "delayed".). remember when i say facelift i really mean jawline and neck lifting. some people that use the term facelift really mean a combination of a browlift, midface lift, and lower facelift. I do not believe in performing the first two as I believe the upper and mid face suffer principally from volume issues and do not merit or benefit from lifting. i hope that is clearer.
best,
sml