You may notice the scarred skin looking fuller, softer, and more in keeping with the skin around it, so that when you look in the mirror you feel less held back by an old mark.
A depressed scar is an area of skin that has been pulled lower than the skin around it, often left behind by acne, an injury, or an old surgical cut. Autologous fat grafting uses your own fat tissue, taken from another part of your body such as the abdomen or thigh, to fill that hollow from underneath. This approach suits some people more than others, and your consultation is there to make that clear.
Everything begins with an examination and a conversation. Your doctor looks closely at each scar, assessing its depth, how much it is tethered down, and the quality of the surrounding skin, then works with you to decide which areas can improve and what is realistic to achieve. This is also when you share what you are hoping for and ask any question on your mind.
Most fat grafting for scars is done under local anaesthesia, numbing only the area where fat is taken and the area where it is placed, sometimes with light sedation to keep you more comfortable. The exact form of anaesthesia depends on how many scars there are and the area being treated.
Your doctor takes a small amount of fat tissue from the donor area (usually the abdomen or inner thigh) through a fine cannula. This fat is processed and cleaned, then placed a little at a time beneath the scar using a very fine needle or cannula, lifting the depressed skin up to sit level with the area around it. Before or during the placement, your doctor may gently release the fibrous bands that pull the base of the scar down, so the fat has room to settle and the skin lifts evenly.
Because your body will reabsorb some of the placed fat during the first few weeks, your doctor usually grafts slightly more than flat, and some cases need a repeat session to reach the fullness you are after.
Autologous fat grafting can help a scarred area look fuller, feel softer, and stand out less under light. What matters is understanding the limits of this approach, so that you feel satisfied with the real result.
Recovery after fat grafting for scars is usually gentle, but you will have swelling and bruising at both the area where fat was taken and the area where it was placed. The milestones below are rough estimates; every person heals differently.
Autologous fat grafting uses your own tissue, so it avoids a reaction to foreign material, but it is still a procedure that carries risk. Your doctor will talk these through with you before you decide.
At The Gioi Dep, our doctors treat depressed-scar fat grafting as a plan made for each individual scar, not a one-size-fits-all routine. Before grafting, your doctor takes the time to classify the scar, assess the fibrous bands tethering its base, and judge how much fat can be taken, in order to choose an approach that fits your skin rather than applying a fixed formula.
We work under sterile conditions and place the fat in many thin layers, so the tissue has a better chance to survive. After the procedure, you are scheduled for follow-up visits to track the fullness as the fat stabilises, and your doctor will speak honestly with you if a top-up session is needed to reach the result you are hoping for.
During the procedure, the treated area is numbed, so you feel little pain. Afterwards, both the grafted area and the area where fat was taken will feel tight and tender for a few days, usually managed with ordinary pain relief.
Your body reabsorbs some of the fat in the first few weeks, but the fat that survives and takes hold usually stays for the long term. Even so, no one can predict exactly how much fat will be kept, and some people need one more session to reach the fullness they want.
No. The goal is to make the hollow fuller, softer, and less noticeable, not to erase the scar. Understanding this from the start helps you feel more satisfied with the real change.
Many people return to desk work within about a week, once the bruising and swelling have settled. The exact time depends on how many scars there are and the area being treated.
Usually from areas that already have fat tissue, such as the abdomen or inner thigh. Your doctor takes only a small amount, just enough for the scarred area being treated.
The fat is taken through a very small entry point, so any mark at the donor area is usually faint. This area may bruise and feel a little tender in the first few days, then settle.
Age is not the deciding factor. What matters more is stable general health, a stable scar, and having enough fat tissue to take. Your consultation will help assess this for you personally.
You might. Because some of the fat is reabsorbed, some cases need one or a few top-up sessions a few months apart to reach the fullness you want. Your doctor will discuss this with you once the fat has stabilised.
In many cases, fat grafting is used alongside other approaches such as scar subcision, microneedling, or laser to improve depth, surface, and skin quality at the same time. Your doctor will advise if a combined approach is right for you.
The next step is a conversation - book a consultation.
The content on this page is for reference only and does not replace a direct examination and consultation with a specialist physician. Surgical outcomes vary from person to person.