Procedures · Body Contouring & Liposuction

Fat Transfer to the Face or Hands in Jeddah

Medically reviewed by Dr. Khalid Almutairi, Consultant Plastic Surgeon — last reviewed 2026-08-10

With age the face does not only descend, it loses volume: the cheek empties a little, the hollow beneath the eye deepens, and the back of the hand shows its tendons and veins as the layer beneath the skin recedes. Fat transfer addresses that deficit specifically — living fatty tissue is taken from a site that has a surplus, processed, and injected in many small parcels at the appropriate plane so that it survives in its new position.

Care is led by Dr. Khalid Almutairi, a consultant plastic surgeon who is board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery and fellowship trained in hand surgery and microsurgery in Canada and the USA.

Fat transfer is not a lift

This distinction settles most expectations: if the problem is skin laxity, the answer is lifting; if it is volume loss, the answer is replacing it. Many cases involve both to differing degrees, and which one leads the plan is explained before any decision. Using fat to compensate for visible laxity produces fullness without elevation — a result that rarely satisfies.

How it is performed

Fat is harvested by gentle liposuction from a generous site — usually the abdomen, flanks or thigh — then processed to separate viable tissue from fluid and oil, and injected in very small amounts through multiple passes and different layers. That fine distribution is not a technical detail: each small parcel needs contact with living tissue around it to receive a blood supply, and injecting it as a single mass means its centre dies.

Why only part of the fat survives

Transferred fat is living tissue that must acquire a new blood supply, and the portion that does not is reabsorbed over the first months. This is expected resorption, not a complication, and the proportion varies with the site, the condition of the tissues, technique and smoking. The plan is therefore built on that basis from the outset, and a refinement session may be discussed once the result has settled.

When does the result settle?

Swelling is exaggerated in the first weeks and then subsides gradually, with the result usually stable within three to six months. Judging final volume before then leads to hasty decisions.

The back of the hand

The back of the hand is one of the places where volume loss shows early: tendons and veins become prominent and the skin looks thinner. Replacing volume there softens that appearance, bearing in mind that the hand is in constant motion and that swelling takes longer to settle.

Limitations and risks

Partial resorption is expected, as above. Other risks include asymmetry, surface irregularity or palpable lumps, oil cysts or fat necrosis that can leave a nodule, calcifications that may appear on later imaging, infection, and contour irregularity at the donor site. There is also a rare but serious risk of fat entering a blood vessel when injecting in particular areas around the eye and the root of the nose — which is precisely why the plane and the method of injection are approached with great care in those specific sites. The risks relevant to your case are explained before any decision.

Is fat better than filler?

Not better in the absolute, but different: fat is the patient's own living tissue, available in larger volume, and longer lasting where it survives — but it requires a surgical procedure and a donor site, and the proportion that takes cannot be guaranteed. Filler is quicker and more precise in small amounts but temporary. The choice follows the case and the goal, not a fixed preference.

Medical notice

This is general information and does not replace consultation and examination. Every case is assessed individually, and the appropriate pathway and where it is performed are determined by the case and the requirements of the medical facility.