Why Augmenting the Face with Fat May be the Way to Go
- Posted on: Apr 27 2020
Historically, facial rejuvenation had been achieved with surgical procedures like the facelift. While there is still a place in plastic surgery for lift techniques, a lot of the original facelifts that had been performed left people looking tighter, but not necessarily younger or better. There is a reason for this. The facelift, at least when performed as the sole rejuvenating technique, doesn’t meet the comprehensive needs of the aging face. To truly restore a youthful appearance, we’ve come to realize that we need to harness the power of fat.
Facial Fat Transfer is Transforming Plastic Surgery
Fat transfer, or fat grafting, is revolutionizing the field of plastic surgery. When restoring youthfulness to the face, it is necessary to be mindful of what makes the face look youthful; and what makes the face look youthful is contour. The cheeks of a youthful face are not flat, they have curves. The lips are not deflated and wrinkled, they have fullness. To attend properly to these areas, we look to fat.
A fat transfer procedure is admittedly a little more involved than injections of dermal fillers. This is because it has two stages. The first stage is harvesting fat cells from an area on the body. Relatively little fat is needed to augment and rejuvenate the face, so fat harvesting may not be any more extensive than minor liposuction using a syringe. For patients who are interested in body contouring, a full liposuction procedure can be performed. The harvested fat is then purified to separate highly-concentrated fat cells from other fluids. These cells are then inserted layer-by-layer into areas of the face that need volume. The process may be a bit more elaborate but the results of fat transfer can last indefinitely.
Benefits of Facial Fat Transfer
Patients appreciate that fat transfer:
- Is minimally invasive. A small incision provides the access needed for the surgeon to obtain fat cells.
- Requires minimal downtime. Many patients can return to work 1 to 2 days after their procedure. Side effects may include swelling and a sensation of tightness but, if the patient is comfortable with their appearance, they may resume most normal activities (minus exercise).
- Results are natural. There may be no better way to augment the body than with material that comes from the body. Using autologous fat, there is no risk of allergic reaction or serious adverse reaction.
Schedule a Consultation
Facial fat transfer is a common solution for concerns including sagging jowls, flat cheeks, undereye bags or hollowness, sunken cheeks, nasolabial folds, and more. To learn more about this facial rejuvenation technique, call 239.415.7576 and schedule a consult. We now have the ability to do virtual consultations online with a private secure platform.
Posted in: Facelift, Facial Cosmetic Surgery