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 >
  • Upper Eyelids, Eyebrows, and Temples
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 for Upper Eyelids, Eyebrows, and Temples

Structural fat grafting is a procedure that harvests fat from an area or areas of your body and places it elsewhere. The procedure can be used on the upper eyelids, eyebrows, and temples to provide a more youthful appearance.

Structural fat grafting can be used in the upper eyelids, eyebrows, and temples to:

  • Restore fullness if depressions are present
  • Hide visible veins in the face
  • Lift drooping eyebrows to look more youthful
  • Fix problems from previous skin procedures

Is Structural Fat Grafting Right for Me?

Structural fat grafting can fix problems by transferring fat from one or more areas of your body and placing it elsewhere. If you are unhappy with the appearance of your upper eyelids, eyebrows, and temples, the procedure can help you.

Before the Procedure

At your first office visit, a staff member will explain the procedure and talk to you about your medical history. You can look through photos of previous patients to see results.

You should bring photos of your younger self to give the surgical team an idea of the look you want to restore. Or if you would like your facial features to resemble another person’s, you can bring photos of them.

A staff member also will take photos of the way you look now. The surgeon will use those photos to create a plan for the procedure. That includes where the fat will be taken from and where it will be placed.

Structural Fat Grafting Procedure Details

The surgical team will mark the harvest and graft sites with colored pens. The amount of fat used in facial procedures generally is very small.

After harvesting the fat, the surgical team will use a centrifuge to remove unwanted components, such as oil, water, and blood. This refines and concentrates the fat, making it ideal for grafting.

The team then will place the fat in tiny amounts, sculpting it to create the best looking result.

How Long Does the Procedure Take?

The time of the procedure depends on the size of it, including the number of donor sites and the extent of what the surgeon is fixing. Structural fat grafting, in general, can take anywhere from under two hours to five hours.

Type of Anesthesia for Fat Grafting

The procedure usually takes place under general anesthesia, but doctors may use local anesthesia with sedation in minor cases.

Recovery from Structural Fat Grafting

Your recovery will depend on the extent of the procedure. That includes how many donor sites you had, and how large of an area the surgeon treated.

There will be swelling and bruising in both the donor and graft sites. Bruising and swelling in the places where fat was placed should be gone within two to three weeks. It may take longer for swelling to completely disappear, and eyelids usually takes longer to subside.

Swelling subsides more slowly in the donor sites, sometimes taking up to six months to completely go away.

What Results Can I Expect from Structural Fat Grafting?

You can expect a more youthful, natural look to your face after the procedure. Although fat can be easily damaged, structural fat grafting has shown more positive results than general fat grafting. There are no current studies for fat survival rate in humans, but the procedure has corrected a large variety of problems.

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