Facial surgery in Alicante
Restoring volume to areas of the face that have become hollow over the years, using fat from your own body, which is harvested with a fine cannula and injected in small amounts. Before suggesting it, Dr Navarro assesses which areas need it and what you can realistically expect.
Anaesthesia
Local with sedation
Duration
1 to 2 hours
Hospital stay
Day case
Back to social life
Between 1 and 2 weeks
Final result
Between 3 and 4 months
Sessions
Sometimes more than one
Approximate figures. They are confirmed at your consultation for each case.
The technique
With age, the face loses some of its fat and support, and some areas become hollow: the eyes look more sunken, the cheeks flatten and the outline of the jaw becomes more pronounced. Facial fat transfer (lipofilling) replaces this soft tissue volume using the patient’s own fat. It does not act on the bone: it fills the areas where tissue is missing.
It is done in three steps. First, a small amount of fat is harvested with a fine cannula from an area where there is a surplus, such as the abdomen, flanks or thighs. It is then cleaned and prepared. Finally, it is injected with very fine cannulas, in small amounts and in several layers, into the cheekbones, the area around the eyes, the jawline or other areas assessed at your consultation.
Not all of the injected fat survives. Part of it is reabsorbed in the first few months, in a proportion that varies from person to person, which is why a second session is sometimes needed to achieve the desired volume. The fat that takes behaves like your own tissue and remains over time.
Suitability
If sagging is the main problem, fat transfer does not tighten the skin and a facelift may be more suitable. You also need to have enough fat somewhere on your body for it to be harvested.
If you are looking for an immediate and precise change in a very small area, or you would rather not allow for the possibility of a second session, Dr Navarro will explain this clearly at your consultation.
Before you decide
Volume needs to go where it is missing, and in just the right amount. At your first consultation you are seen personally by Dr Navarro, without any rush, to decide which areas to treat and where to take the fat from.
01
What you have noticed changing in your face over the years and what you would like to restore. It can help to bring photos of yourself from a few years ago.
02
Volume in the cheekbones, under the eyes, along the jaw and at the temples, skin quality and possible areas from which to harvest the fat.
03
Which areas to treat, how much of the fat may be reabsorbed, whether another session may be needed and what recovery will involve.
04
You take the information away in writing, with the quote and the risks. You can ask about anything you are unsure of before you decide.
On the day of surgery
Before
Pre-operative tests and simple instructions for the days beforehand. On the day of surgery, the areas to be treated are marked on your face.
Step 1
Usually under local anaesthesia with sedation, fat is harvested from the donor area with a fine cannula, through incisions just a few millimetres long.
Step 2
The fat is cleaned and separated from blood and fluids so that only usable tissue is injected.
Step 3
Using very fine cannulas, the fat is placed in small amounts and in several layers, so that it integrates better and the result is even.
Finish
The small incisions are closed and you go home the same day.
Afterwards
Days 1 to 3
Swelling in the face, sometimes considerable, and some bruising, including in the area the fat was taken from. Cold compresses and the prescribed medication.
Weeks 1 and 2
The swelling goes down. Avoid pressing or massaging the treated areas. Many patients return to their social life between the first and second week.
First few months
Part of the fat is reabsorbed and the rest integrates. It is normal for the volume to reduce compared with the first few days.
Between 3 and 4 months
The volume stabilises. This is the time to assess the result and, if needed, consider a second session.
Important information
Like any surgery, facial fat transfer carries risks. They are uncommon, but it is important to know about them before you decide:
Dr Navarro will go through them with you at your consultation, and they will be set out in the informed consent form.
Common questions
It depends on each person and each area. Part of it is reabsorbed in the first few months; the fat that integrates remains as your own tissue.
Sometimes, yes. If after a few months the volume falls short, a second session can be considered to complete it.
The area the fat is taken from is usually more uncomfortable than the face. Discomfort is controlled with standard painkillers.
For gentle activities, within a few days. Swelling in the face may be noticeable for one to two weeks.
The fat that integrates is long-lasting, but your face continues to age. Also, if you gain or lose a lot of weight, that fat changes in volume too.
Hyaluronic acid is a product that the body reabsorbs over time and is injected during a clinic appointment. Fat transfer is surgery using your own fat, intended to restore more volume and for longer.
Yes. It is often combined with a facelift or blepharoplasty, when volume is needed as well as repositioning the tissues.
It depends on the areas to be treated and whether it is combined with another procedure. The quote is confirmed after your first consultation.
Your surgeon
Plastic surgeon in Alicante, focused on facial, breast and body surgery. He sees you personally at the first consultation, during surgery and at every follow-up.
“Every procedure is unique. My commitment is to combine advanced technique with sound medical judgement, with one clear aim: natural results in harmony with your face and body.”
Clinic at Carrer de Velázquez, 2, 03560 El Campello (Alicante)
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