Deep facial fat compartments: overview
Quick facts
- Definition
- Fat pockets beneath the muscles of facial expression, next to the periosteum and the ligaments.
- Examples
- SOOF, ROOF, deep medial cheek fat, buccal fat pad and temporal fat pad.
- Function
- Support the superficial fat and give projection to the midface.
- With age
- They lose volume and shift, which contributes to the look of a descending face.
The deep fat compartments of the face lie beneath the muscles of expression and next to the bone and the ligaments. They form a kind of "support cushion" on which the superficial fat and skin rest. They complete the map of the superficial facial compartments and are part of the set described in layers of the face.
What are the main ones?
| Compartment | Where it is |
|---|---|
| SOOF | Beneath the orbicularis oculi muscle, over the cheekbone |
| ROOF | Beneath the orbicularis and frontalis muscles, next to the brow |
| Deep medial cheek fat | Medial cheek, next to the nasolabial fold |
| Buccal fat pad | Lateral and deep cheek, next to the masseter |
| Temporal fat pad | Temporal fossa, deep |
How do they relate to the ligaments?
The retaining ligaments anchor the skin to the bone and mark the boundaries of the compartments. With age, deep fat loses volume and the ligaments hold the skin at certain points, while the tissue between them descends. This mechanism helps explain the formation of grooves and the loss of midface projection.
What changes in practice?
When the professional understands that the cause is loss of deep support, the plan usually prioritizes areas such as the cheekbone and temple and only then addresses the grooves. Higher-support filler in deep planes is a technical decision, at the discretion of the qualified professional, and each area carries its own vascular risks.
In Harmy
Harmy projects the appearance of volume in the marked areas and does not distinguish layers. A Cheekbone and Temple projection, for example, helps start a conversation about support, without representing the injection plane.
Frequently asked questions
What are the deep fat compartments of the face?
The main ones include the SOOF, the ROOF, the deep medial cheek fat, the buccal fat pad and the temporal fat pad. They lie beneath the muscles of expression.
Why do deep compartments matter in HOF?
Because loss of deep volume removes support from the superficial fat and the skin. Understanding this helps decide where to provide support.