Service
Facial fat transfer
Fat transfer (lipotransfer) is the transfer of your own fatty tissue. Fat is taken from one part of the body by liposuction, processed and placed into areas of the face that have lost fullness.
What concerns does it address?
Why is it done together with tightening?
With age, the face loses two things: firmness and volume. These are two different losses and they are treated with different procedures.
Tightening does not restore volume. A face that has lost fullness and is only tightened becomes tighter — not fuller. That is why, for some patients, tightening and fat transfer are done in the same procedure, with one recovery.
How is it done?
Fat is taken by mini liposuction — with a syringe, under lower pressure, to damage the fat cells as little as possible — most often from the abdomen or thighs, and, when there is an excess of it on the face, from under the chin or the cheeks: fat from the face takes better on the face. It is processed (centrifuged) and placed with thin cannulas in small amounts, layer by layer, where volume has been lost: the cheekbones and upper mid-face, the hollow between the lower eyelid and the cheek, the folds beside the nose, the temples, the lips and the chin. When the upper face is filled, the skin below is stretched and the lower face looks better — which delays face tightening. With a deep, fixed line, the scar tissue under it is released with a special small blade (scarification) before the fat is placed, so that the fat has somewhere to sit.
At Barbel, mid-face fat transfer has been, for more than ten years, one of the most common procedures for refreshing the face in middle age — between thirty-five and fifty, when the skin is still good but the face has become “sunken”. It is often done together with Botox (for expression lines), eyelid surgery or a mini facelift.
How much of the transferred fat stays?
The body breaks down part of the transferred fat in the first months — for most people about half to two thirds remains. What remains after three to six months stays permanently and behaves like the rest of the body's fat. That is why somewhat more is placed during the procedure than is wanted, and when the deficit is larger, it is done in two sessions instead of one large amount at once.
When is the procedure not suitable?
Fat transfer is not possible without enough of your own fat — in very thin people a filler is chosen. It is not planned while body weight is falling or fluctuating, because the transferred fat behaves like the rest. It does not solve excess skin: when the skin is slack, tightening is needed, on its own or with fat transfer.
General reasons for postponing a procedure (pregnancy, breastfeeding, inflammation, a clotting disorder, smoking): When is a procedure postponed?
Anaesthesia
Before a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The anaesthetic assessment and the anaesthesia for larger operations are included in the price of the procedure. What happens before, during and after anaesthesia is described on the Anaesthesia page.
Recovery
Swelling of the face and of the area the fat was taken from goes down over the first weeks. For the first two weeks the face is not massaged or pressed, because the fat cells are only just taking. Procedures are grouped into four recovery profiles: A, outpatient (home straight away, no restrictions apart from dressing changes), B, minor procedure (home the same day or after one night, marks are visible for about a week), C, major procedure (one to two nights in the clinic, sick leave and planning in weeks) and D, functional procedure (sick leave and return to work). This procedure belongs to profile B. How long recovery takes and what it depends on is described on the Recovery after surgery page.
Risks
Expected — swelling and bruising on the face and at the donor area, uneven fullness in the first weeks until the swelling goes down. Occasional — unevenness after part of the fat is absorbed, small lumps under the skin.
Expected, and rare but serious → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
Price
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Fat transfer to the whole face | €800–1,500 |
| Upper and lower eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) with facial fat transfer (local anaesthesia) | €4,000–4,500 |
| Upper and lower eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) with facial fat transfer (general anaesthesia) | €4,500–5,000 |
Specialist and team
Specialty: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
What happens at the examination?
The first examination lasts 30 to 45 minutes on average. The surgeon examines the area you are concerned about, asks about illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous operations, and talks with you about what you expect. If the procedure is appropriate and likely to help, you receive a plan: which procedure is proposed, under which anaesthesia, what recovery looks like and what is included in the price. If the procedure is not needed or would not give you what you expect, you will hear that at the examination too.
In the same visit
- Facelift — tightening the face and neck — tightening and fat transfer are done in the same procedure, with one recovery.
- Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) — often done together with eyelid surgery, in the same procedure and under the same anaesthesia.
- Mini facelift — often done together with a mini facelift, in the same procedure and under the same anaesthesia.
Frequently asked questions
How does fat transfer differ from fillers? A filler is a gel that breaks down over time and is repeated every year or two; the fat is your own, with no allergy and no foreign material, and what takes stays permanently. A filler is more precise for the edge of the lips and fine lines; fat is better for the volume of the cheekbones, cheeks and temples.
Can it be repeated? Yes, whenever needed — at the earliest after three to six months, when it is clear how much has taken.
Does the result change with weight? Yes. Transferred fat behaves like the rest: when you gain weight, the face fills out more, when you lose weight — less. That is why it is done at a stable weight.
How much does the result depend on care after the procedure? The larger the procedure, the more it depends on it, but it always does. Healing takes weeks and months and happens almost entirely at home, so the instructions you receive when you go home, about the wound, physical activity and the scar, are part of the procedure, not a recommendation.
What if the result is not as agreed?
The result of a procedure is assessed at a follow-up visit, once the swelling has gone down and the scar has matured, not in the first weeks. If it differs from what was agreed at the examination, the same surgeon carries out the correction.
→ Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.