Fat Transfer: The Ultimate Natural Filler for Your Face
- Posted on: Jul 16 2018
We sometimes hear people say they are resistant to having cosmetic procedures or surgery is because they view them as “unnatural”. In reality, we do “unnatural” things every day! Driving in a car isn’t natural. Flying in a plane definitely isn’t natural! It’s simply technology making our lives easier, and that is exactly what cosmetic surgery is. Cosmetic technology that exists to rejuvenate our faces and bodies.
Still, let’s take a look at this “unnatural” word for a minute. Maybe some people object to the idea of injecting something like a dermal filler into the face to restore facial volume lost to aging. Well, dermal fillers are actually made from naturally occurring substances, and those substances are safely reabsorbed by the body. But if you want a completely “natural” option to restore lost facial volume, then we have the perfect solution. It’s called fat augmentation or fat transfer, and it might just be the ultimate all-natural filler for your face!
Fat transfer is exactly what it sounds like. We remove fat cells from one part of your body (an area where you wish there was less fat) and place them in another area, where they plump up wrinkles and fill in hollows. However, this process isn’t quite as simple as just moving the fat. You are probably familiar with liposuction as one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the world. Although we do not offer body sculpting liposuction here at Azul, we do use liposuction technique in fat transfer surgery.
Dr. Flaharty uses a tiny cannula (a thin tube) to remove fat cells from your body. These fat cells are alive, so great care is taken to make sure they remain that way. We use a special centrifuge to purify and concentrate the viable fat cells, which are then put into a number of small syringes.
Dr. Flaharty works quickly and precisely to inject the still-living fat cells in small micrografts to restore volume to the face. If the job is not done fast enough, the fat cells won’t be able to get the blood and nutrients they need and they will die. So it’s important that you have a highly experienced surgeon like Dr. Flaharty performing the procedure.
Recovery Period
As with all surgical procedures, fat augmentation (fat transfer) has a recovery period. In this case, it is about two weeks. Over this time, you may experience bruising and swelling in the areas where the fat was removed and reinjected. Any discomfort or soreness is managed with oral pain medication and ice packs. After the bruising fades, you may still be somewhat sensitive and sore in the areas treated, so don’t push yourself. Depending on your rate of healing, Dr. Flaharty may recommend you wear a compression garment for the areas where your fat was harvested to speed healing and help with any discomfort.
What Are the Benefits of Fat Transfer over Dermal Fillers?
So why is fat transfer the ultimate in natural facial fillers? Well, for one thing, it lasts far longer. Even the best dermal filler will start to break down and be reabsorbed by the body after approximately a year, requiring you to come back to get touch-ups. This is not the case with fat transfer. The fat cells that are successfully transferred to your face, and not reabsorbed, will thrive there, naturally restoring the fat that was lost due to aging. This will last far longer than any dermal filler.
Another major advantage is the level of rejuvenation we can accomplish with fat transfer. We use the harvested fat to globally revolumize your face, resulting in a comprehensive rejuvenation. This would be difficult, or even impossible, to do with dermal fillers, as it would cost far too much and any results would be temporary.
Finally, one of the major advantages of fat transfer over dermal fillers is that fat just… feels better. More natural. Even though we can get fantastic results with dermal fillers (we wouldn’t offer them otherwise), the results you get with fat transfer are just more natural-looking.
Are there any advantages of dermal fillers over fat transfer? Dermal fillers are a non-invasive and can be done quickly and easily, without any extensive recovery time or major discomfort. In this sense, they have an advantage over surgical fat transfer, which requires a recovery time with associated discomfort. However, either way, we assure you that Dr. Flaharty will give you a remarkably natural-looking result!
If you have tried dermal fillers in the past and are tired of yearly maintenance treatments, you might just be the perfect candidate for fat transfer. Almost everyone is a good candidate, provided that they are in good health and have a little excess fat on their body. A fat transfer will give you a fantastic, all-natural revolumization of your face. It truly is the ultimate in facial fillers! And that is just the start. As with dermal fillers, fat transfer can also be paired with Botox or Dysport to smooth out the small wrinkles around your eyes and forehead, giving you an all-round very harmonious facial rejuvenation.
If you’d like to book a free consultation with Dr. Flaharty to talk about which filler treatment – dermal fillers or fat transfer – is right for you, we invite you to give us a call at (239) 747-1148. If you’d like to learn more about all of the surgical, non-surgical and medical spa treatments we offer here at Azul, please visit our website at www.azulbeauty.com.
Tagged with: fat transfer, filler, natural
Posted in: Procedures