Birthdays stop being something to look forward to after you hit 30. From then on, birthdays signify aging, both mentally and physically. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to hide the effects of aging, since it’s often most apparent in the face. Wrinkling, gravity, and skin volume loss are all huge factors of the aging process, and they drastically affect your appearance (and sometimes more) over time. Facial fat grafting is an innovative procedure that successfully sets back the clock—at least on your face.
Fat Grafting Defined
After time, the skin in the face begins to sag and wrinkle as a result of lost volume with facial flesh due to age. The result is similar to when air begins to leak out of a balloon over time. The balloon still has it’s form, but it is wrinkled and loose. Fat grafting is the process of removing tiny amounts of fat from one place (generally the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks) and relocating it to the face to solve the facial volume problem.
The Best Candidates
You should consider facial fat grafting if you want a permanent solution to creased and sunken areas of the face. This may include laugh lines, smile lines, crow’s feet, acne scars, or thin lips and cheeks.
The best candidates will be in generally good health with a good immune system. You should be free of any circulation problems and not smoke. You must also have enough fat on your body that can be used for filling the volume of your face.
The Procedure
Generally, the procedure will go as follows:
You and your surgeon will discuss and select the best site for fat removal. The area will be sterilized, then numbed with a local anesthetic. Your surgeon will make a small incision in the area and use a cannula connected to a syringe to extract the fat. This is the same way liposuction is performed.
After enough fat is collected, it is purified and transferred to the face. Using a small needle, the surgeon will insert the fat into the natural tissue of the face. The process will be repeated multiple times until the volume is restored to your face.
The Results
You should see a noticeable difference in your face following the procedure, with much fewer wrinkles and less sagging than before. Take note that a fat transfer like this is not Botox. It will not completely erase the lines from your face, though it will make a drastic improvement. If performed successfully, the results of your facial fat graft should be permanent.
If you believe you’re a good candidate for facial fat grafting, give our office a call today.
