Author: Director Lee Won (Plastic Surgery Specialist: Representative Director of 21plastic surgery)
This content was created in compliance with applicable laws including the Medical Act.
The naturalness of fat transfer is determined not by a hospital's name, but by three criteria: overall facial harmony design · graft survival rate management · appropriate volume per area. If you know these criteria before consultation, your questions will become much more specific.
Finding Natural Fat Transfer — Standards to Look for in Gangnam Sinnonhyeon
When considering fat transfer, the first question that comes to mind is often "Which hospital does this well?" However, there's something to examine before this question: what factors actually influence creating natural results.
Rather than simply filling volume, an approach that considers the harmony of the entire face is necessary, and with medical staff possessing abundant experience distributing fat precisely, natural results can be expected. This is emphasized in BioTimes materials as well. Additionally, clinical data consistently points out that when appropriate volumes are designed per area tailored to each individual's facial structure and balance, this leads to natural and stable results.
In summary, there are three elements:
✓ Overall facial harmony design — Look at overall balance first so that no single area stands out.
✓ Graft survival rate management — How stably the transplanted fat settles determines the permanence of results.
✓ Appropriate volume per area — Putting in more is not necessarily better. Different areas need different amounts.
Directly confirming these three elements with medical staff during consultation is the most practical standard for selecting a hospital.
Mini Q&A
Q. Is fat transfer more effective the more you put in at once?
No. Exceeding appropriate amounts can actually create unnatural bulging, making the process of designing suitable amounts for each individual the key principle.
Why Fat Transfer Looks 'Unnatural' — Mechanisms and Easy-to-Miss Points
When fat transfer results feel awkward, typically one or more of three causes are at work.
| Cause | Mechanism | Per-Area Caution Points |
|---|---|---|
| Over-injection | Excessive volume creates bulging that makes the impression look unnatural. BioTimes materials emphasize that adjusting amounts suitable for each individual through sufficient consultation is important. | Full-face: Each area (forehead, temples, cheeks, chin) has different volume tolerance |
| Graft failure | When transplanted fat cells fail to graft, volume can quickly diminish or calcification phenomena may occur. Medical specialty media specify this as a fat transfer complication risk. | Under-eye fat repositioning: Thin skin with limited space below, over-transplantation shows graft imbalance distinctly |
| Ignoring per-area difficulty | According to clinical data, transplantation difficulty, stability, and risk levels vary considerably by area. | Aegyo-fat transfer: Complex anatomical structures around the eyes require delicate manipulation |
All three causes can be preventively discussed to some degree during the consultation phase. If you know in advance what precautions apply to each area—full-face, under-eye, and aegyo—before consultation, conversation with medical staff becomes much more specific and substantive.
21plastic surgery's Fat Transfer Approach — Customized Per-Area Design from a Total Aesthetic Surgery Perspective
21plastic surgery does not divide full-face fat transfer, under-eye fat repositioning, and aegyo-fat transfer into independent procedures. Instead, they are designed together within a total aesthetic surgery solution that first examines each individual's facial harmony. From the moment you decide to become more beautiful, we specifically visualize how much each area needs and enhance surgical completion.
Clinical data presents as a core principle that precisely and evenly transplanting the appropriate amount of fat to each facial area raises graft survival rates and allows volumes to remain stable over time.
How this principle is actually applied at 21plastic surgery, examined step by step, is as follows:
✓ Understanding overall facial balance — Rather than looking only at the surgical area, first confirm the overall flow of forehead, temples, cheeks, under-eyes, and jawline.
✓ Designing appropriate volumes per area — Individually design necessary volumes for full-face, under-eye, and aegyo fat transfer respectively.
✓ Simultaneous conjunctival incision method application — When proceeding with under-eye fat repositioning and aegyo-fat transfer simultaneously, instead of the lower eyelid method of making separate skin incisions, apply the conjunctival incision method. This allows both procedures to be performed together, achieving both under-eye improvement and aegyo correction effects, while reducing scar burden visible during recovery.
✓ Fine distribution transplantation — Rather than concentrating in one area, distribute evenly across a wide area to create natural three-dimensionality after grafting.
✓ Post-operative monitoring — Confirm progress together until grafting stabilizes.
Who This Works Well For — Fat Transfer Pre-Consultation Self-Check + Precautions
If you examine your condition using the checklist below before consultation, consultation time will be used efficiently and expectation adjustment becomes much smoother.
✓ Cases where fat transfer can be helpful
✓ Those who frequently hear they look tired due to volume deficiency in specific areas like cheeks, forehead, or temples
✓ Those whose under-eyes are hollow or dark circles appear to result from bone structure
✓ Those who feel their expression looks somewhat strong because they lack aegyo-fat
✓ Those who feel overall facial dimension has decreased as facial fat diminishes with age
✓ Cases requiring additional consultation first
✓ Those whose main concern is simple skin sagging or wrinkles — Lifting-type procedures may be more suitable than fat transfer.
✓ Those with frequent weight fluctuations — According to Medical Observer related materials, graft survival rates are typically known to be 50-75% within one year and 25-50% after two years, but there are variations depending on patient health and lifestyle, making accurate prediction difficult. Frequent weight changes can affect graft results and must be shared during consultation.
✓ Those wanting volume in areas where it's unnecessary — BioTimes materials specify that injecting fat into areas where it's unnecessary can actually cause side effects where the face appears wider or sagging.
Those comparing hospitals while searching for fat transfer near Gangnam Station, Sinnonhyeon, or Apgujeong can also have more specific conversations during consultation after first reviewing the above checklist. Patients from nearby areas including Gangnam Station, Sinnonhyeon, and Apgujeong can visit conveniently.
Please Feel Free to Consult. We'll Look Into It Together.
At 21plastic surgery located between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station, please feel free to receive fat transfer consultation from a total aesthetic surgery perspective that examines overall facial balance first. We'll look into it together with you.
Fat transfer takes time for results to appear, and the approach varies depending on each person's facial structure and lifestyle patterns. Health Kyunghyang materials also recommend sufficient consultation with a specialist about whether this is truly the necessary treatment for you and whether any complications are expected before making a decision.
21plastic surgery has a global treatment environment for not only domestic patients, but also international patients from diverse countries including Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and North America. You can begin consultation without burden regarding language or environment.
If you are considering fat transfer, we will examine together step by step from whether each area is necessary to how graft survival rate is managed.
Q&A
Q1. How is full-face fat transfer different from per-area fat transfer?
Full-face fat transfer is a method of designing and transplanting volume throughout the face all at once—forehead, temples, cheeks, under-eyes, chin, etc. Per-area transfer proceeds with only specific areas selectively. Which method is appropriate is determined through consultation after examining the overall facial balance and individual areas of concern.
Q2. What happens if graft survival rate is low after fat transfer?
If grafted fat is insufficient, volume may decrease faster than expected. In this case, additional procedures using PRP (platelet growth factor) or stem cells can be considered. Graft survival rates can vary depending on harvesting and purification methods, transplantation technique, and patient health status and lifestyle, so honest sharing during consultation is important.
Q3. Can under-eye fat repositioning and aegyo-fat transfer be done simultaneously?
Yes, it's possible. 21plastic surgery applies the conjunctival incision method instead of the lower eyelid method of making separate skin incisions and proceeds with both together. You can achieve both under-eye improvement and aegyo volume without unnecessary additional incisions, while reducing visible scar burden. Suitability is determined through consultation based on individual eye structure.
This content is provided for informational purposes. Please consult with medical staff for specific diagnosis and treatment.