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What Is Periorbital Fat Grafting?

Periorbital fat grafting is a cosmetic procedure that uses your body's own fat to add volume to the area around your eyes. "Periorbital" means the area around the eye. "Autologous fat transfer" means that fat is taken from one part of your body and transferred to another. This procedure is used to fill in hollows and smooth the skin for a more rested look.

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What Is Periorbital Fat Grafting?

Periorbital fat grafting is a cosmetic procedure that uses your body's own fat to add volume to the area around your eyes. "Periorbital" means the area around the eye. "Autologous fat transfer" means that fat is taken from one part of your body and transferred to another. This procedure is used to fill in hollows and smooth the skin for a more rested look.

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Why Is It Done?

This procedure is done to treat volume loss around the eyes, which is a common sign of aging. As you get older, you can lose fat in your upper eyelids and under your eyes in the "tear trough" area. This can create a hollow, sunken, or tired appearance. Fat grafting helps to restore this lost volume and plump up the skin from the inside out.

What Happens During the Procedure?

<p>The procedure has two parts. First, the surgeon performs a small amount of liposuction to get fat from another part of your body, like your stomach or thighs. This fat is then purified. Second, the surgeon carefully injects the processed fat in tiny amounts into the hollow areas around your eyes. This is a very delicate procedure that requires great skill.</p>

What Is Recovery Like?

Recovery involves bruising and swelling in two places: the area where the fat was taken and the area around your eyes. The swelling around the eyes can be significant and may take several weeks to fully go down. The results can be very long-lasting, but not all of the transferred fat will survive. A surgeon will often inject a little extra to account for this.

Fat Grafting vs. Dermal Fillers

Fat grafting is different from tear trough fillers. Fillers use a man-made gel (like hyaluronic acid) that is temporary and dissolves over time. Fat grafting uses your own living tissue, which can provide a much longer-lasting or even permanent result. However, fat grafting is a more invasive surgical procedure with more downtime.

The Survival Rate of Fat

One challenge with fat grafting is that not all the transferred fat will survive in its new location. Typically, about 50% to 70% of the grafted fat cells establish a blood supply and live permanently. To account for this, surgeons often slightly overfill the area during the procedure. Over the first few months, the body absorbs the fat cells that did not survive, leaving behind the final, lasting result.

FAQs on Periorbital Fat Grafting

Is fat grafting safe?

Yes, when done by a skilled, board-certified surgeon, it is a safe procedure. Because it uses your body's own fat, there is no risk of an allergic reaction to the material itself.

How long do the results last?

The results can be very long-lasting, and for many people, they are considered permanent. The fat cells that survive the transfer will continue to live in their new location just like they did before.

Is this procedure done in an office?

It is more complex than a filler injection. It is a surgical procedure that is usually performed in a sterile operating room, often with sedation or general anesthesia.

When to See Your Doctor

You should schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon or oculoplastic surgeon if you are bothered by a sunken or hollow look around your eyes. They can examine your face, discuss your goals, and help you decide if fat grafting is a better option for you than temporary fillers or other surgeries.

References

Autologous Fat Grafting for Facial Rejuvenation. StatPearls. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557860/. Accessed April 8, 2026.

Functional and Aesthetic Periorbital, Ocular Adnexal, and Facial Rejuvenation. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12733712/. Accessed April 8, 2026.

Rejuvenation of the African American Periorbital Area. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2884926/. Accessed April 8, 2026.

Eye-Opening Effect Achieved by Modified Transconjunctival Lower Blepharoplasty With Orbital Fat Transposition. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11852279/. Accessed April 8, 2026.

Upper Eyelid Medial Fat Reduction and Pearl Grafting. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12548986/. Accessed April 8, 2026.