Fat Grafting: Understanding Natural Breast Augmentation (Updated September 2024)

Young woman (model) looking over her shoulder

Did you know that fat is becoming the ultimate filler for aesthetic breast surgery? Fat grafting is a highly versatile technique that uses your body’s own fat as a natural filler to enhance breast size, shape, and symmetry for beautiful, natural-looking results. In addition to fat transfer breast augmentation, fat grafting is also used to augment the face and buttocks.

How does breast fat transfer work?

The basic concept of fat grafting to breasts consists of three parts:

  • Harvesting: Unwanted fat is removed from the abdomen or thighs using liposuction
  • Processing: The harvested fat is processed to purify the fat cells and prepare them for transfer
  • Injection: The fat is carefully injected into the breasts to achieve added volume

I use a device called Revolveto purify fat for grafting, where the fat is never exposed to the outside environment and can be re-injected quickly to minimize its time outside the body. By injecting fat into multiple tissue threads, each thread receives ample blood supply. Using this approach, I find that approximately 80% of what I inject stays, enhancing your overall results. 

Benefits of natural breast augmentation

When it comes to enhancing your breasts, why is fat so great?  In appropriate patients, fat is the ultimate natural padding, offering these advantages compared to traditional breast augmentation using breast implants:

  • It doesn’t require maintenance or replacement
  • It’s soft and pliable
  • Injecting fat requires smaller incisions
  • Stem cells in the fat have a rejuvenating effect on the overlying skin
  • The fluid-like nature of the fat allows it to be molded and injected where it is needed most
  • Results are natural-looking and feeling

One of the main reasons I use fat grafting vs implants is to deliver additional upper breast fullness in patients that need a lift and want a more “augmented” looking breast without implants. It’s also effective for revision breast surgery patients when implant rippling or irregularity needs to be camouflaged. In both of these situations, fat can be an extremely helpful tool to create a soft, natural and youthful appearing breast.

Fat transfer breast augmentation can be performed as a stand-alone procedure or in combination with breast implant or breast lift procedures. 

Who’s a good candidate for breast fat transfer?

While not everyone is an ideal candidate for breast fat transfer, the procedure benefits women who:

  • Desire a modest, subtle increase in breast size (about one cup size)
  • Want to enhance breast shape or symmetry
  • Wish to enhance the results of a previous breast surgery
  • Wish to customize the results of their traditional breast augmentation surgery
  • Prefer a natural alternative to breast implants

To be clear, there are limitations to fat grafting. Occasionally, patients do not have enough fat to harvest for a successful result, although this problem is fairly uncommon. Also, a limited amount of fat can be grafted at one time due to blood supply issues. Therefore, fat grafting is not a great substitute for women who desire a substantial increase in breast size.

Finally, grafting as an alternative to implants is not as successful in patients with naturally tight tissues unless preoperative stretching of the skin is performed with the Brava system. The Brava system requires the use of two huge suction cups that are attached over the breasts hours a day for weeks before surgery. This system is uncomfortable and a major inconvenience. As a result, I feel that it is not a reasonable alternative to straightforward breast augmentation.

Parting thoughts on fat grafting

Despite its limitations, I believe fat grafting represents one of the great new tools in aesthetic breast surgery.  It offers a versatile and natural solution for breast enhancement without implants. Please check out the new (and growing) fat grafting before and after section on my website to view some inspiring breast fat transfer patient success stories!

After picturing what’s possible, I encourage you to request a consultation using the online form or call our practice at (480) 423-1973 to schedule an appointment.

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