A fat transfer is a procedure that improves areas depleted of necessary fat content, and can be used to smooth wrinkles or augment other areas such as the lips. A fat transfer begins with the harvesting of donor fat from another area of the body, either the thigh or abdomen. This fat is then used to augment deficient areas.

The products of liposuction can be separated (so that the fat cells remain) and injected into other parts of the body. There has been success with injecting this material into the lips. However, as with other tissue-derived materials, it may disappear, sometimes more quickly. There are reports of long-term results with repeated injections. Also, the surgeon can freeze fat (taken during liposuction) for up to four years and periodically reinject it into the lips and other areas of the face. In order to get a result with fat injections, one must over-inject so that, for approximately a week, the lips will look very swollen. The results are often lumpy as some fat resorbs (is reabsorbed by the body) and some does not. Retreatment can correct these bumps but often it requires several procedures.

This procedure may be performed alone or in combination with other procedures such as facelift, neck lift and blepharoplasty and may be performed on an outpatient basis.