Can You Combine a Facelift With Fat Grafting in One Surgery?
Yes — the combination is common because lifting repositions sagging tissue while grafting restores the volume aging has hollowed out.
Facial aging subtracts in two ways: tissue slides downward, and volume deflates in the temples, midface and around the mouth. A lift corrects the first but cannot refill the second — pulled-tight skin over a deflated frame can even look gaunt. Adding fat grafting in the same session addresses both dimensions at once, which is why combined plans are now routine.
What combining changes in practice
One anesthesia and one recovery period cover both procedures, though surgery runs longer and early swelling reads bigger. Graft survival on a freshly lifted face follows the same rules as elsewhere — partial resorption is expected, and the retained fraction varies by individual.
Not every face needs both: some need only repositioning, others mostly volume. A specialist consultation that maps your sagging and your hollowing separately shows whether the combination is genuinely worth the longer operation for you.
MediIndex articles are for general information only and are not medical advice, diagnosis, or advertising. Outcomes vary by individual — consult a board-certified specialist for personal decisions.