Can Eyelid Fat Grafting Naturally Fill in Sunken Eyelids?

Hello. I’m Ahn Byung-jun, the chief director of Ahn Byung-jun Plastic Surgery.

"I often hear that my eyes look sunken"

"My eyelids above the double eyelid line look deeply hollow, so I seem older"

When consulting with patients, there are people who come in with these concerns.

When the eyelids are sunken, the face can often look tired or feel heavy.

In such cases, simply correcting the line alone makes it difficult to achieve the desired change.

An approach that fills in the hollowed area itself is needed, and one such method is eyelid fat grafting.

Why do the eyelids look sunken?

There are several reasons why the eyelids may appear sunken.

As people age, the fat around the eyes naturally decreases.

In some cases, too much fat is removed during previous double eyelid surgery, making the area look hollow.

There are also people who are born with insufficient eyelid volume and therefore have a sunken appearance from the start.

Whatever the cause, when the eyelids are sunken, the skin above the double eyelid line may fold deeply, or the eyes may give a hollowed-in impression.

In this state, even adjusting the eyelid-opening strength or modifying the line often does not create the desired look.

What is eyelid fat grafting?

Eyelid fat grafting is a method of harvesting your own fat and transplanting it into the hollowed eyelid area.

A small amount of fat is collected from areas such as the thighs or abdomen, then refined and carefully injected into the sunken part of the eyelid.

Because it uses your own fat, it causes less foreign-body sensation and can create a natural-looking volume.

However, not all of the transplanted fat survives.

Some of it is absorbed, so the result is usually evaluated after about 2 to 3 months.

Sometimes fat grafting alone is not enough

When improving sunken eyelids, there are cases where eyelid fat grafting alone does not produce the desired change.

In particular, if the eyelid-opening muscle is weak, the eyes may not open properly even after filling the area with fat, which can leave the result less than ideal.

In such cases, eyelid correction surgery may be considered together.

By adjusting the strength of the eyelid-opening muscle while also filling the sunken space with fat, eyelid correction can help the eyes open more clearly while restoring volume.

At this point, more fat is not necessarily better.

The important principle is to assess the degree of hollowness and the condition of the muscles together, and create natural-looking volume with only a small amount of fat.

If too much fat is grafted, the eyelids may instead look heavy or create an awkward impression.

What changes happen after surgery?

When the hollow in the eyelid is filled, the overall impression becomes much softer.

The tired or sunken look is reduced, and the area around the eyes appears brighter overall.

When eyelid correction is performed together, the eyes may open more comfortably and the eye shape itself can look more defined.

Right after surgery, swelling may make the area look puffy, and time is needed for the transplanted fat to settle.

Eyelid fat grafting should be carefully designed with the expertise of a board-certified plastic surgeon.

To achieve natural results, the cause of the sunken eyelid must first be identified, and the amount and location of the fat, as well as whether other solutions should be used, must all be considered together.

If you are concerned that hollow eyelids are changing your appearance or making you look older, start by carefully examining your eye condition.

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