Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Plastic Surgery >
  • ... >
  • Services >
  • Regenerative Cell and Tissue Therapies >
  • Fat Grafting Treatments >
  • Fat Grafting to Repair Scarring
Plastic Surgery
About Us
Services
Plastic Surgery Center
Gender Affirming Surgery
Hand Surgery Program
Hidradenitis Suppurativa Surgery Program
Life After Weight Loss Program
Nerve Disorder Center
Plastic Surgery After Cancer
Reconstructive Plastic Surgery
Regenerative Cell and Tissue Therapies
Making an Appointment
Preparing for Your Visit
Residency and Fellowships
Research & Clinical Trials
Our Experts
Patient Stories
Our Locations
Contact Us
Plastic Surgery
About Us
Services
Plastic Surgery Center
Gender Affirming Surgery
Hand Surgery Program
Hidradenitis Suppurativa Surgery Program
Life After Weight Loss Program
Nerve Disorder Center
Plastic Surgery After Cancer
Reconstructive Plastic Surgery
Regenerative Cell and Tissue Therapies
Making an Appointment
Preparing for Your Visit
Residency and Fellowships
Research & Clinical Trials
Our Experts
Patient Stories
Our Locations
Contact Us

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Structural Fat Grafting to Repair Scarring

Scarring can occur anywhere on the body where tissue has been damaged, then healed. Any number of causes – burns, injuries, chicken pox, acne, sun or radiation exposure, and more – can lead to scars on the skin. With scarring can come pain, itching, and discomfort.

One potential repair for scars is structural fat grafting. This procedure harvests fat from one or more areas of the body and places it elsewhere. Structural fat grafting can reduce the appearance of scars on the face and body, including dimpling and deep depressions, resulting in thicker, softer, healthier skin.

Potential benefits of fat grafting for scarred faces and bodies include:

  • Improving the quality of aged and scarred skin
  • Reducing pain and itchiness
  • Healing radiation damage
  • Treating chronic ulcers

Is Structural Fat Grafting for Scar Revision Right for Me?

Structural fat grafting moves fat between different spots on the body. Because there is no risk of rejection or an allergic reaction, the procedure isn’t limited to any specific candidates. The procedure can repair scarring on the face and body that was caused by several different factors.

Before the Procedure

Before undergoing fat grafting, you will meet with your surgical team. If possible, you should bring photos of yourself from before the scarring to your first consultation. This can help the surgical team understand your goals for the procedure.

At your consultation, you will discuss your medical history with your doctor and learn about structural fat grafting. A member of the care team will take photos of your scarred areas.

Prior to the procedure, your doctor will review the photos with you and create a blueprint for your procedure. You can approve or adjust that blueprint. You also will meet with the staff to go over the procedure more fully and get pre-surgery instructions.

Procedure Details

Your surgical team will use colored pens to mark the exact donor and graft areas for your procedure.

Your doctor then will use liposuction to harvest the fat from your body, either from one or multiple areas. The team will use a centrifuge to refine and concentrate the fat, removing unwanted components like blood, oil, and water.

Finally, your doctor will place the fat in its new location, using a sculpting method to make it look smooth.

The surgery can take anywhere from under two hours to five hours, depending on how much fat is harvested and placed.

Type of Anesthesia

The surgery usually takes place with general anesthesia, but local anesthesia with sedation is used in minor procedures.

Recovery from Fat Grafting for Scar Revision

Your recovery from structural fat grafting will depend on how extensive the procedure was. In general, you will experience swelling, bruising, and soreness, with more swelling in donor areas. In more minor cases, recovery can happen quickly, and you will feel normal within days. In others, the swelling, bruising, and soreness can linger.

Bruising generally fades within two to three weeks after surgery. Swelling in graft sites also can fade within two or three weeks. Swelling in the donor areas can stay for up to six months.

Depending on your level of recovery, you likely can return to normal activity within two weeks of the procedure.

Anticipated Results

Although traditional fat grafting is not 100 percent effective, structural fat grafting has shown a higher success rate. However, no studies have fully measured the survival rate of transplanted human fat over a long time.

Using fat to treat scarring instead of temporary fillers carries several benefits. Those include:

  • Permanence of improved area
  • No risk of rejection or allergic reaction
  • Improvement continues over time

Risks of Structural Fat Grafting

Complications from structural fat grafting aren’t common, but they can occur. Side effects and complications include:

  • Bleeding
  • Infections
  • Scarring
  • Irregularities
  • Placing too much or too little fat
  • Swelling
  • Bruising
UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login