Lipofilling or lipostructure Sculpting with your own fat tissue

Dr. Davide Costantino
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Lipofilling or lipostructure

Lipofilling, also known as lipostructure, is a surgical technique that uses autologous fat — meaning fat taken directly from the patient’s own body — to fill, shape, and enhance volumes in both the face and the body.

It is considered a refined and highly natural approach, as it combines sculpting with a regenerative effect, allowing contours to be harmonized while also improving the quality of the tissues, all without the use of synthetic materials or implants. The concept behind lipofilling is straightforward: fat that is in excess in one area of the body can be repurposed as a valuable resource for another. The procedure involves harvesting fat from donor areas such as the abdomen, hips, thighs, or knees, purifying it, and then carefully re-injecting it into areas that need more volume, definition, or support.

This technique can be applied in a variety of situations. In the face, it is often used to redefine cheekbones, temples, and the chin, as well as to soften nasolabial folds or reduce the appearance of deep under-eye circles. It can also be used on the hands to restore fullness and counteract the skeletal look that may develop with aging. In the body, lipofilling is commonly performed to enhance the shape and volume of the buttocks in a natural way, or in the breasts as a complement to augmentation or reconstruction procedures, improving symmetry and the softness of the final result. It is also particularly effective in treating scars or skin depressions, where the injected adipose tissue helps restore a more even and consistent surface.

The results are extremely natural because the procedure uses the patient’s own tissue, making it fully biocompatible and eliminating the risk of rejection or allergic reactions. In addition, the stem cells contained in the adipose tissue contribute to a regenerative effect, gradually improving the texture and overall quality of the skin in the treated areas over time.

Procedure

Lipofilling is usually performed under local anesthesia with sedation for limited areas, or under general anesthesia if combined with other procedures or applied to larger areas (such as the body or buttocks).
The procedure consists of three main stages:

Harvesting:

The fat is aspirated from donor areas using thin microcannulas, with the same delicacy as a mini-liposuction.

Purification:

The adipose tissue is then filtered or centrifuged, removing blood, serum, and oils to obtain a pure fraction composed of viable adipocytes and stem cells.

Reinjection:

The purified fat is injected with microcannulas into micro-channels, a technique known as the Coleman method, which ensures uniform distribution and promotes the graft’s integration into the tissue.

The integration is a gradual biological process: in the weeks following the procedure, part of the adipose cells integrate perfectly with the receiving tissues, while a physiological percentage (usually between 20% and 40%) is naturally absorbed.

For this reason, touch-ups or small additional grafts may be scheduled a few months later to optimize the result and make it stable over time.

The procedure does not leave visible scars because the incisions used for inserting the cannulas are millimetric and placed in hidden areas. Recovery is quick: slight swelling or bruising tend to disappear in a few days, and the treated areas gradually take on their final appearance over 1-3 months.

Results and advantages

The result of lipofilling is dual: on one hand, it remodels the donor area, improving its silhouette; on the other, it increases volumes or corrects the contours of the receiving area naturally, harmoniously, and durably.

The skin appears more elastic and luminous, thanks to the regenerative effect of the adipose cells, and the volumes obtained integrate perfectly with those of the body, without any sense of artificiality.

The main advantages of the technique include:

The absence of foreign materials and therefore no allergic reactions;
The naturalness of the aesthetic result;
The improvement of tissue quality due to the stem cells present in the fat;
The versatility of application on both the face and body;
The long-term stability of results, provided the body weight remains stable.

After the procedure, it is recommended to wear compressive garments on the harvesting areas for 2-4 weeks and to follow the post-operative instructions from the surgeon. Return to normal activities usually happens in a few days, while for more intense physical exercise, it is better to wait around three weeks.
Lipofilling represents today one of the most elegant and natural techniques for reshaping and rejuvenating the body and face.

By using the patient’s own adipose tissue, it allows sculpting and harmonizing the body with realistic, durable, and biologically compatible results.
It is a procedure that combines science and aesthetic sensitivity, where surgical precision is accompanied by respect for the uniqueness of each body, restoring balance, softness, and naturalness to the patient’s volumes and contours.