Becky Colwill
Level 7 Advanced Aesthetics Practitioner
Aesthetic Medical Ltd · Trowbridge, Wiltshire
What is fat grafting?
Facial fat grafting — also called autologous fat transfer or lipofilling — is a surgical procedure. Fat is collected from a suitable donor area of your body, processed, and transferred to selected areas of the face to restore volume and improve contours.
Fat being collected from Becky’s own knee during her treatment. Harvest
Under local anaesthetic, fat is gently collected by liposuction through a fine cannula, from a donor area such as the abdomen, thighs, flanks or buttocks. Which area suits you is decided at your clinical assessment.
Harvested fat being filtered between syringes. Prepare
The collected tissue is spun in a centrifuge or filtered to separate the living fat cells from blood, oil and fluid, so that what is transferred is as clean and consistent as possible.
Becky preparing purified fat for transfer. Transfer
The purified fat is placed in small amounts through fine tunnels into the selected areas of the face, to restore lost volume and improve contour while supporting the survival of the transferred cells.
Not the same as…
- Dermal fillers
- are manufactured gels, commonly hyaluronic acid, injected without any surgery. Fat grafting uses your own tissue, which first has to be collected.
- Nanofat
- is fat processed much more finely, into a liquid used mainly for skin quality rather than to restore volume. This page describes conventional fat grafting.
- Endolift
- is a laser treatment beneath the skin that aims to tighten it. It does not add volume.
- A facelift
- is an operation that lifts tissue and removes loose skin. Fat grafting restores volume; it does not lift or remove skin.
Where volume can be restored
Whether an area is suitable depends on your anatomy and on a clinical assessment. Not every area, or every face, is right for fat grafting.
Cheeks
Restoring volume to the mid-face, where loss of fullness can make the face look flatter or more tired.
Temples
Softening hollowing at the sides of the forehead, which can change the shape of the upper face with age or weight loss.
Selected under-eye hollows
Some hollowing beneath the eyes is caused by volume loss and may be suitable. The skin here is thin and the area is delicate, so careful assessment matters most.
Deep lines, folds and areas of volume loss
Certain deeper lines and folds, and other areas where fullness has been lost, may be softened by restoring the volume beneath them.
Under-eye hollows are not eye bags
Hollowing
A groove or shadow caused by loss of volume. This is what fat grafting may be able to help with, in selected cases.
Eye bags
Puffiness, often from fat pushing forward or fluid. Adding fat does not remove eye bags.
Excess eyelid skin
Loose or hooded skin. Fat grafting does not tighten or remove skin.
Fat grafting is not a treatment for wrinkles in the skin itself, and it does not lift loose skin. If another approach would suit your concern better, your assessment is where that is discussed.
Your own tissue, placed with care
- Uses your own fat tissue, rather than a manufactured filler.
- Can restore fullness in selected areas of the face.
- Can improve facial contours and balance.
- May soften the appearance of some folds.
- Transferred fat that survives can provide long-lasting volume.
Some of the transferred fat is always reabsorbed by the body, and how much remains varies from person to person. Further treatment may be needed to reach the planned result.
Meet Becky
Becky Colwill
Level 7 Advanced Aesthetics Practitioner & Director, Aesthetic Medical Ltd
Becky is the director of Aesthetic Medical Ltd in Trowbridge, and has more than 11 years of experience in advanced aesthetic treatments. She holds a Level 7 qualification in aesthetics, has been featured on the BBC for her work in the industry, and the clinic was nominated in the 2025 England’s Business Awards.
Her approach is personal rather than conveyor-belt: an honest conversation about what you would like to change, what a treatment can realistically achieve, and whether a different option would suit you better.
Fat-grafting training
Becky has undertaken one-to-one training in fat grafting with Dr Mario Goisis.
Dr Goisis is an Italian-trained maxillofacial surgeon and the editor of the Springer book Outpatient Regenerative Medicine: Fat Injection and PRP as Minor Office-based Procedures (opens in a new tab). Dr Goisis is not part of the Aesthetic Medical Ltd team and is not involved in treatments carried out at the clinic.
Becky has had fat grafting herself — see her own before and after.
Qualifications & recognition
- Level 7 Aesthetics Qualification
- 11+ years in advanced aesthetics
- Featured on the BBC
- 2025 England’s Business Awards Nominee
2025 England’s Business Awards
Nominee — Aesthetic Medical Ltd
A result that develops gradually
Fat grafting is not an instant result. Knowing how it settles helps you judge it fairly — and decide whether it is right for you.
Early fullness is partly swelling
Straight after treatment the area looks fuller than the eventual result, because swelling adds to the volume. This settles over the following weeks.
Some fat is reabsorbed
Not all of the transferred fat establishes a blood supply. The body naturally reabsorbs part of it, which is expected and is allowed for in planning.
Retention varies
How much fat survives differs from person to person and from area to area. It cannot be predicted precisely in advance.
Results develop over months
The result becomes clearer gradually, over several months, as swelling resolves and the surviving fat settles.
Further treatment may be needed
Some people need an additional session to achieve the planned result. Becky will discuss this possibility with you before you decide.
Patients treated by Dr Mario Goisis
These patients were treated by Dr Mario Goisis, not at Aesthetic Medical Ltd. They are not results of treatment by Becky and are not a guide to the result you would have. A photograph taken in the first weeks still includes swelling; results settle over the following months as some of the transferred fat is reabsorbed. Individual results vary.
What recovery can involve
Common, usually temporary
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Temporary numbness
- Small scars at the entry points
These can occur at both the donor site, where the fat was collected, and the treatment sites on the face. Recovery varies with the procedure and with the individual. Some swelling may persist beyond the first few weeks, and the final result can take several months to assess.
Work, exercise & daily life
When you return to work, exercise and your usual activities should follow Becky’s advice; she will give you aftercare instructions specific to your procedure.
Recovery is different for everyone, so there is no fixed timescale that applies to every patient. Ask about it at your consultation, before you plan time off.
Is fat grafting right for you?
That is decided at a clinical consultation with Becky, not online. It covers your medical history, your individual risks, the alternatives — including not having treatment — and whether fat grafting is appropriate for you at all.
What to know about safety
Fat grafting is a surgical procedure, and like any surgery it carries risks. Most people experience bruising, swelling and tenderness while they heal, and some of the transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed. Less commonly, the result can be uneven or need further treatment, and very rarely there can be serious complications. Becky will go through every risk with you before you decide anything.
Read the full list of risks
Infection and bleeding
As with any procedure that breaks the skin.
Asymmetry and uneven contours
Including irregularities in the treated area or at the donor site.
Under- or over-correction
The result may be less or more than planned, and may need further treatment.
Fat reabsorption
Some transferred fat does not survive, so volume can reduce over time.
Small lumps or firm areas
Occasionally, fat that does not survive leaves a small lump or firm area under the skin, which may need treatment.
Small scars or altered feeling
Tiny scars where the cannula enters the skin, and numbness or altered feeling that is usually temporary.
Reactions to the anaesthetic
As with any anaesthetic, reactions are possible.
Rare but serious complications
Very rarely, fat can enter a blood vessel and block blood flow. In the face this has caused loss of vision and stroke. Becky will explain how this risk is managed.
Nothing on this page, and no online assessment, can tell you that you are suitable.
Start Your Fat Grafting Assessment
Tell us what you’re interested in so our team can understand your enquiry and discuss the next steps.
Loading the assessment… If it does not appear, please call Kerry on 07380 338007.
Completing this assessment does not confirm suitability for treatment. A clinical consultation is required.
Questions first? Talk to Kerry
Contact Kerry, Patient Care Coordinator, for a free telephone or Zoom call. Available 8 a.m.–8 p.m., seven days a week.
Who does what
Kerry owned and ran her own spa for 12 years and holds a Level 4 qualification in Anatomy & Physiology. On your call she answers your questions, explains how the process works and prepares you for your consultation.
Clinical assessment, treatment planning and consent are handled by Becky, who performs the treatment, at a consultation.
Call or email
The clinic
Aesthetic Medical LtdStudio 1, 6 Stallard Street
Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 8HN
Clinic appointments: by appointment only
Get directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)Book online
Choose a time for your free call with Kerry.
Frequently asked questions
Facial fat grafting, also called autologous fat transfer or lipofilling, uses your own fat to restore volume in the face. Fat is collected from a suitable donor area using liposuction, processed to remove blood, free oil and excess fluid, then placed in small amounts into selected areas.
Yes. Fat grafting is a surgical procedure: it involves liposuction to collect the fat and injection to place it. It carries the risks of surgery, and a clinical consultation is needed before any decision is made.
Dermal fillers are manufactured gels, commonly hyaluronic acid, injected without surgery. Fat grafting uses your own tissue, which must first be collected by liposuction. Fat that survives can provide long-lasting volume, but the procedure is more involved and the amount retained varies.
Nanofat is fat that has been processed much more finely, into a liquid. It is used mainly for skin quality rather than to restore volume. Conventional fat grafting, described on this page, transfers fat to add volume.
Areas commonly considered include the cheeks, the temples, selected under-eye hollows, and certain facial folds and areas of volume loss. Whether an area is suitable for you depends on your anatomy and a clinical assessment. Fat grafting does not remove eye bags, tighten or remove loose skin, or eliminate wrinkles.
No. Part of the transferred fat is reabsorbed by the body, and how much survives varies between people and between areas. It cannot be predicted precisely in advance.
Possibly. Because retention varies, some people need an additional session to reach the planned result. This is something to discuss at your consultation before you decide.
It varies with the procedure and the individual. Bruising, swelling, tenderness, temporary numbness and small scars can occur at both the donor and treatment sites. Some swelling may persist beyond the first few weeks.
That depends on your procedure and your recovery, so there is no single answer. Follow Becky’s advice; she will give you specific aftercare instructions.
Early fullness is partly swelling, and some fat is reabsorbed, so the result develops gradually. It can take several months before the final result can be assessed. Individual results vary.
Risks include infection and bleeding; asymmetry and uneven contours; under- or over-correction; some of the fat being reabsorbed; small lumps or firm areas; small scars or altered feeling; and reactions to the anaesthetic. Very rarely, fat entering a blood vessel can cause serious complications, including loss of vision or stroke. Your individual risks are discussed at your clinical consultation.
A member of our team, usually Kerry, our Patient Care Coordinator, will get in touch to talk through your enquiry and the next steps. Completing the assessment does not confirm that you are suitable for treatment: that can only be decided at a clinical consultation.
Still have questions?