Facial fat pads: what they are and how they change
Fat pads (or fat compartments) are pockets of adipose tissue separated by septa and retaining ligaments. The face does not have a single, continuous layer of fat: it is divided into compartments with relatively defined borders, which age in different ways.
What are the main fat pads?
In simplified terms, they fall into two groups:
- Superficial: located just under the skin, such as the nasolabial and malar compartments (medial, middle, and lateral), as well as those of the forehead and temple.
- Deep: located under the musculature, next to the bone, such as the suborbicularis oculi fat (SOOF), the deep malar fat, and the Bichat fat pad (buccal fat).
Nomenclature varies between authors and does not need to be memorized to understand the clinical logic: deep compartments provide support and projection; superficial ones provide a smooth contour.
What happens with age?
With aging, some compartments lose volume, especially the deep ones of the midface, while others may descend or become more prominent. The loss of support underneath helps explain the tear trough, the flattening of the cheekbone, and the deepening of the nasolabial fold.
That is why volumization is usually thought of as structural replacement, not just wrinkle filling. Plane, product, and volume are defined by the qualified professional after assessment. When hyaluronic acid is used, hyaluronidase must be available.
In Harmy
The Cheekbone, Tear Trough, and Temple points in the marking correspond to areas where fat loss tends to weigh the most. The projection with the volume in ml for each one helps the patient see the effect of replacement.
Also called: fat compartments, facial adipose compartments.