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Facial fat transfer in Edinburgh

Restores volume where the face has softened with time, using your own fat rather than synthetic filler. We use the Coleman technique, which is designed to help the fat survive and settle.

Your consultants
Clinician assessing cheek volume
Anaesthetic
Local or General
Surgery time
1 hour
Recovery
Few days to 1 week off work, 4 weeks before strenuous exercise
Guide price
From £3,950

Contents

Who is an ideal candidate?

Suitable candidates for facial fat transfer:

  • Have noticed loss of volume in the face — typically the cheeks, under eyes, temples or around the mouth — with time or weight change
  • Have enough fat in a donor area (abdomen, flanks or thighs) to harvest
  • Are in good general health with realistic expectations about how much volume can be restored in one session
  • Are non-smokers, or are willing to stop smoking well in advance of surgery to support fat survival
  • Want a longer-lasting alternative to dermal fillers, or are combining the procedure with other facial surgery

A consultation is a conversation, not a commitment to surgery. If we feel fat transfer is not the right answer for your case — for example, if filler would serve you better, or if a different procedure altogether is the more appropriate first step — we will say so honestly.

What the procedure involves

Facial fat transfer at Waterfront uses the Coleman technique, developed by Dr Sydney Coleman as a refined method of fat grafting designed to maximise how much of the transferred fat survives long-term. The procedure involves three steps:

  • Gentle fat harvesting: fat is taken from a donor area — typically the abdomen, flanks or thighs — using specialised liposuction techniques that minimise damage to the fat cells.
  • Centrifugation and purification: the harvested fat is centrifuged, which separates and concentrates the fat cells from blood, oil and tumescent fluid. Only the purified fat is used for grafting.
  • Precise injection: the purified fat is injected into the target facial areas in small amounts, at varying depths, in a layered pattern. Distributing the fat this way improves blood supply to each parcel of grafted fat, which is what determines how much survives long-term.

The procedure is typically performed under local anaesthesia (sometimes with sedation) or general anaesthesia, depending on how much fat is being transferred and whether the procedure is combined with other facial surgery.

Facial fat transfer animation

A short 3D animation of the procedure. It loads only when you press play.

What facial fat transfer can and can’t do

Fat transfer puts volume back using your own tissue, and the fat that survives can last for years. How much survives varies from person to person, so we plan for that rather than promise a fixed result.

It can

  • Restore volume in the cheeks, temples and mid-face.
  • Soften hollows under the eyes.
  • Soften the folds around the mouth where volume has been lost.
  • Add volume during a facelift, eyelid surgery or brow lift in the same operation.

It can’t

  • Guarantee how much fat survives. On average about half the fat placed survives, and it varies, so a top-up session is sometimes needed.
  • Lift loose skin. Volume can help a tired face, but sagging along the jaw and neck needs a facelift.
  • Be dissolved like filler. If too much fat survives in one area, removing it is harder than reversing a hyaluronic acid filler.
  • Remove scars. It can soften depressed acne scars by lifting them, but the scars remain.
  • Stop your face ageing. The fat that survives ages with the rest of your face.

Your consultant will tell you at your consultation which of these apply to you.

What is the cost of facial fat transfer?

Where fat transfer is combined with another procedure — most commonly facelift or lower eyelid surgery — the combined cost is quoted individually after consultation.

If a top-up procedure is recommended once the initial result has settled, this is quoted at the time. The full price for your individual case can only be confirmed after a face-to-face consultation with the consultant who will perform your surgery.

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Questions before you book?

Ask anything about facial fat transfer, its recovery, risks or cost, any time and in plain language. If you would like, our team can contact you afterwards.

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Patients often ask

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Quick answers

How much does facial fat transfer cost?
Guide prices are listed in the Cost section above. The full price for your individual case is confirmed after a face-to-face consultation with the consultant who will perform your surgery.

Can I spread the cost?
Yes. You can pay in full two weeks before your procedure, or spread the cost with interest-free finance through Omni Capital Retail Finance over 6 or 10 months, with a deposit of between 10% and 50%. There is no interest and no hidden fee, and most applicants get a decision straight away. We do not accept private medical insurance for cosmetic treatment.
Will the same surgeon plan, perform and review my fat transfer?
Yes. The consultant who assesses you at your first appointment is the consultant who plans your procedure, performs it, and follows you through every post-operative review. There is no handover between assessment and procedure, no patient coordinator, and no surgeon rotation.
Is fat transfer better than filler?
Synthetic dermal fillers add volume immediately and predictably, but they are absorbed by the body over six to eighteen months and need to be repeated. Facial fat transfer uses your own tissue, and the fat that survives becomes part of the face, although a portion (on average around half, and it varies from person to person) is reabsorbed in the first three to six months and the final result takes longer to see. Fat transfer is a bigger, more involved procedure than filler, but the volume that survives behaves like normal facial fat thereafter and lasts for years.
What is the Coleman technique and why does Waterfront use it?
The Coleman technique is a refined method of fat grafting developed by Dr Sydney Coleman. It emphasises gentle harvesting of the fat to minimise damage to the fat cells, careful centrifugation to purify the harvested fat, and precise injection of small amounts of fat at varying depths in a layered pattern. The aim is to maximise how much of the transferred fat survives long-term, which is what determines durability of the result. It is more time-consuming than less refined methods but is widely regarded as the gold standard for fat grafting.
How long do the results of facial fat transfer last?
The fat that survives the first three to six months tends to behave like normal facial fat from then on, meaning the result lasts for years. The natural ageing process continues regardless, and the volume gained from fat transfer ages with the rest of your face.
How is the fat harvested?
Fat is taken from a donor area — typically the abdomen, flanks or thighs — using small liposuction incisions. The amount harvested is modest, since only a relatively small volume is needed for facial work. The donor area heals with minimal scarring.
Can facial fat transfer help with acne scars?
Yes, in some cases. Adding volume beneath depressed acne scars can soften their appearance by lifting the scar towards the surrounding skin. The result is partial rather than total — fat transfer does not remove a scar, it disguises it. Your consultant will assess this honestly at consultation.
Can facial fat transfer be combined with other procedures?
Yes — frequently. The most common combinations are with a facelift (where fat transfer restores volume that lifting alone cannot achieve), with lower eyelid surgery (to soften the transition between lower lid and cheek), and with a brow lift. Combining procedures in a single operation shortens overall recovery time.
Who is an ideal candidate for facial fat transfer?
Suitable candidates have noticed volume loss in the face, have enough donor fat to harvest, are in good general health, and have realistic expectations about how much volume can be restored in one session and how much may need a top-up. Non-smokers do better — smoking reduces fat survival significantly. The assessment is made in person at consultation.
How do I prepare for a facial fat transfer?
Preparation includes a pre-operative assessment, stopping certain medications and supplements that may increase bleeding risk, and stopping smoking. Maintaining a stable weight in the weeks before surgery helps with the predictability of the result, as significant weight loss after surgery can affect the volume that survives. Your consultant will provide specific instructions tailored to your circumstances.
What is the recovery time for facial fat transfer?
Most patients take a few days to a week off work, depending on how visible the bruising is. Bruising and swelling settle over two to three weeks. Strenuous exercise should be avoided for around four weeks. The early result is fuller than the final result; final volume is judged at around six months.

Recovery from facial fat transfer is relatively quick because the procedure is largely injection-based rather than incision-based.

Bruising and swelling at the donor area and the face are normal in the first few days and continue to settle over two to three weeks. Most patients take a few days to a week off work, depending on how visible the bruising is. Strenuous exercise should be avoided for around four weeks. The early result will look fuller than the final result, because some of the transferred fat is reabsorbed in the first three to six months. The final volume should be judged at around six months.

A nurse reviews you at one week, and more often if needed, in the early healing period. Your consultant sees you again at around six months once the result has settled. Between then, your consultant is always available — if anything concerns you, they will respond directly and arrange to see you as soon as needed.

What are the risks of facial fat transfer?
Risks include swelling and bruising, asymmetry, fat absorption above the expected range, lumpiness or skin-texture irregularities (uncommon), infection, nerve disturbance, and the general risks of anaesthesia. Specific risks for your case will be discussed in detail at consultation.
What happens if I have concerns after my surgery?
All patients are seen by a nurse at one week, and more often if needed in the early healing period. Your consultant reviews you again at around six months once the result has settled. Between those reviews, your consultant is always available — if anything concerns you, they will respond directly and arrange to see you as soon as needed.

Our facial fat transfer specialists

You meet your consultant at your first appointment. The same consultant plans your treatment, carries it out and sees you afterwards.

Mr Ken Stewart

Consultant plastic surgeon

GMC Specialist Register (Plastic Surgery)BAAPS · BAPRAS · Board Certified in cosmetic surgery (ICSB)

Will Anderson

Consultant plastic surgeon

GMC Specialist Register (Plastic Surgery)BAAPS

Omar Quaba

Consultant plastic surgeon

GMC Specialist Register (Plastic Surgery)BAAPS · ISAPS · Board Certified in cosmetic surgery (ICSB)

Awf Quaba

Consultant plastic surgeon

GMC Specialist Register (Plastic Surgery)BAAPS · BAPRAS

Ewa Majdak-Paredes

Consultant plastic surgeon

GMC Specialist Register (Plastic Surgery)BAAPS · BAPRAS · Board Certified in cosmetic surgery (ICSB)

I had an amazing all in experience with Dr Will Anderson and all the nursing team. Their care throughout and after was great. Really happy with my final results. All staff were lovely and approachable. I had so many questions after my 1st consultation and the staff were proactive at responding. Would highly recommend.

Samantha
Oct 2026 Read on Trustpilot (opens in a new tab)

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584 reviews

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Risks, and how often they happen

Every operation carries risk. Here they are in three groups. The figures come from UK national guidance and published studies, averaged across many patients, so your own risk may be higher or lower. Your consultant will go through what applies to you, and every risk is in your written consent.

Expected Almost everyone, and they settle

  • Swelling and bruising of the face and the donor area, settling over two to three weeks, longer around the eyes.
  • A fuller look at first. Some of the fat is reabsorbed over three to six months, and the final volume is judged at about six months.
  • Some loss of the volume placed. On average about half survives, and the amount varies between people and areas.
  • Tenderness at the donor site and tiny scars of a few millimetres where the fat was taken.

Uncommon Some patients, and some need further treatment

  • Lumps or small cysts where some of the fat has not survived (fat necrosis). Most soften with time, and some need treatment.
    About 1 in 50
  • Unevenness or visible irregularity, more likely under the eyes where the skin is thin.
    About 1 in 50

Rare but serious

  • Fat entering a blood vessel. This can cause loss of vision, stroke or, in extreme cases, death. It is very rare. We place the fat with blunt cannulas, as the Coleman technique specifies, slowly and in small amounts, all of which lower this risk.
    Very rare
  • A blood clot in the leg or lung (DVT or PE) if you have a general anaesthetic. We assess your risk and take steps to prevent it.
    Under 1 in 1,000
  • A serious reaction to the anaesthetic, if you have a general anaesthetic.
    Very rare

For the long term

  • You may need a second session. If less fat survives than planned, a top-up can be done once the result has settled, and is quoted at the time.
  • Grafted fat behaves like fat. If you gain or lose a lot of weight, the treated areas can grow or shrink with you.
  • Your face keeps ageing. The volume gained ages with the rest of your face.
Where these figures come from

Aftercare and recovery

Your recovery is led by the consultant who performed your surgery. A nurse reviews you at one week, and your consultant sees you again once everything has settled. Between appointments, our team are available whenever you have a concern — you do not need to wait for a scheduled review. Practical guidance on dressings, activity and returning to work is in our aftercare guide.

  1. Day of surgeryHome the same day with your written aftercare guide. Waterfront is a day hospital.
  2. Week 1Nurse review: wound checked, dressings changed, questions answered.
  3. Week 2Back to desk work. Physical work from the end of week 2.
  4. Week 4Gentle exercise: walking and light stretching.
  5. Months 2–6The transferred fat settles; the result becomes clear.
  6. 6 monthsYour consultant reviews the settled result. Sooner if you need it.
  7. 12 monthsNurse reviews, dressing clinics and the treatment of any complications are included.

Typical timings. Your consultant and nurse will tailor them to you.

Patient with a cup of tea in the Waterfront lounge, a nurse beside her

Written by

Mr Omar Quaba, consultant plastic surgeon

Mr Omar Quaba, MBBChir, FRCS (Plast), GMC 4586300, is a Consultant Plastic Surgeon with over 20 years of experience in plastic surgery. Based at Waterfront Private Hospital in Edinburgh, he is on the GMC Specialist Register for plastic surgery, a member of BAAPS and ISAPS, and Board Certified in cosmetic surgery (ICSB).