Facelift Series #11: Fat Facts w/ Dr. Jason Bloom

The layer just beneath the skin does more to shape a youthful face than most people expect. Dr. Lawrence Bass and Dr. Jason Bloom explain where facial volume actually comes from and the areas fat commonly gets added: cheeks, nasolabial folds, lips, temples, the jawline, and the tear trough under the eyes. Volume loss, not just loose skin, reshapes a face over time. Harvesting and processing get equal attention: gentler cannulas, tumescent fluid, and a closed membrane system that purifies fat to roughly 97% while keeping its growth factors and stem cells intact. Dr. Bloom explains why sizing fat particles between 700 and 1500 microns prevents lumps, especially around the eyes. They cover the real risks, with vascular occlusion and vision loss chief among them, and why taking fat out of the neck can sometimes make it look worse, depending on whether the fullness sits above or below the platysma muscle. Their shared takeaway: survival, not volume, decides the outcome. Even a well-processed graft only takes about 50 to 70%, so planning for that loss is what makes results look natural months later. About Dr. Jason Bloom Dr. Jason Bloom is a facial plastic surgeon in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and co-director of the Facial Plastic Surgery Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. He speaks nationally and internationally on fat grafting and processing techniques, and roughly 80% of his facial rejuvenation surgeries pair periocular surgery with fat grafting. To learn more, visit the Bloom Facial Plastics website or follow Dr. Bloom on Instagram @bloom.facial.plastics