For patients in South Africa

Facial fat transfer in Turkey from South Africa: a plain guide

Facial fat transfer, also called facial fat grafting, restores lost volume using your own fat. It is used for hollow cheeks, hollows under the eyes, sunken temples and the area around the eye sockets. Because the material is your own tissue, the result looks and feels natural. This page covers who it suits, what happens, and how South African patients should plan the trip.

Who it suits

• People with hollow cheeks, under-eye hollows, sunken temples or general loss of facial volume
• People who want natural rejuvenation using their own tissue
• People looking for a longer-lasting alternative to repeat filler
• People in good general health, who do not smoke or can stop before surgery, with realistic expectations

Fat transfer restores volume; it does not lift loose skin. Where sagging is the main problem, it may be discussed alongside a facelift. For the lips specifically, see lip fat transfer, and for hollows under the eyes with bags, eye bag removal. More detail is on the facial fat transfer treatment page.

How it is done

You send photographs and goals for a surgical plan. On arrival in İzmir you have health checks, blood tests and a face-to-face meeting with the surgeon, who marks the areas to treat. Fat is taken from an area such as the abdomen or thighs with a thin cannula, purified, and injected in small amounts into each area of the face. The operation typically takes 45 to 60 minutes.

How long to stay, and the flight home

Most patients are able to fly home after five to seven days, once the surgeon has checked them. Direct flights from Johannesburg or Cape Town to Istanbul take around ten hours, followed by a short domestic flight to İzmir. South Africans need an e-Visa before travelling. Facial swelling can look worse on day two or three than on the day of surgery, which is one reason not to book the shortest possible trip.

• Expect swelling and bruising of the face and the area the fat was taken from
• Sleep with your head raised in the first nights
• Do not smoke: it reduces how much of the fat survives
• Avoid pressing on or massaging the treated areas unless the surgeon tells you to

Recovery at home

The face often looks over-full in the first weeks. As swelling goes down, part of the transferred fat is reabsorbed, and the face settles gradually over the following months; the fat that remains gives a long-lasting result. Follow-up continues by photograph and message; İzmir is one hour ahead of South Africa. Keep your GP informed.

Surgical treatments are covered by our treatment guarantee for one year from the date of treatment. It covers medical complications from the operation and any revision the treating team judges clinically necessary; that treatment is carried out in İzmir at no charge, but flights and accommodation are your own responsibility. It does not cover a preference for a different look where the result falls within what was discussed before surgery.

Risks

The surgeon explains your individual risks before you agree. They include swelling, bruising, temporary unevenness, partial reabsorption of the fat and asymmetry, and less often infection, bleeding, fat necrosis, or the need for further fat grafting to reach the planned result.

What we will not do

We will not promise how much fat will survive, we will not present fat transfer as a substitute for a lift when loose skin is the real issue, and we will not confirm a plan before a surgeon has assessed you. Read our clinic facts and complaints page before deciding, and see other options in the face surgery guide for South African patients.

Frequently asked questions

Which areas can facial fat transfer treat?

It is used mainly for the cheeks, the under-eye area, the temples and the area around the eye sockets, where volume is lost with age.

How long does facial fat transfer last?

The fat that survives gives a long-lasting result. Some of it is naturally reabsorbed over the first months, so a further session is sometimes needed.

How long do I need to stay in Turkey?

Most patients fly home after five to seven days, once the surgeon has checked them. The flight from Istanbul to Johannesburg or Cape Town takes around ten hours.

Can fat transfer replace a facelift?

No. Fat transfer restores lost volume but does not tighten loose skin. Where sagging is the main concern, the surgeon may discuss a facelift instead of, or as well as, fat transfer.

Will my medical aid pay for it?

South African medical schemes generally do not cover cosmetic facial surgery, and standard travel insurance usually excludes planned treatment abroad. Check with both before you book.

Start with a free online consultation. Planning the trip? Read the guide for South African patients and the e-Visa guide.