FACIAL FAT GRAFTING AT POWER PLASTIC SURGERY
Our faces gradually reflect signs of aging. It’s unavoidable for both men and women. Fine lines and wrinkles are often the first to appear, followed by deepening of expressive lines, loss of youthful facial fullness, and loose skin. Facial fat grafting, also called facial fat transfer, may be an effective option to restore youthful volume to the face and smooth away wrinkles for a more refreshed appearance.
What is Facial Fat Grafting?
Fat grafting has gained popularity in recent years and has developed many applications within facial rejuvenation. Fat grafting, fat injection, and fat transfer are synonymous terms which refer to harvesting a patient’s own fat stores for injection within a different body region to augment volume.
Fat grafting may be used to soften facial rhytids (wrinkles), such as marionette lines and nasolabial folds (smile lines). It may augment the jowl region to improve jawline contour, improve the appearance of depressed scars, and restore volume in the periorbital (eye) and midface region for facial rejuvenation. Because this procedure uses your own natural fat cells, you will not have to worry about the risk of allergic reaction. An added benefit is reducing fatty tissue at the donor sites.
Overall, facial fat grafting may address the following issues:
- Loss of volume in the midface region.
- Shallow scarring from acne.
- Creased or recessed facial features.
- Early formation of jowls along with jawline.
- Asymmetries of specific features.
Facial Fat Grafting Candidates
Individuals who wish to rejuvenate their appearance without using surgical implants or fillers and who wish to achieve long-lasting results and a youthful appearance can often benefit from facial fat grafting. Ideal candidates will be physically healthy overall, non-smokers, and have realistic expectations for the outcome of their procedure. Indications and outcomes are similar to those of soft tissue injectables, such as hyaluronic acid fillers. A facial fat grafting consultation appointment with Dr. Power is the best way to determine candidacy.
How is Facial Fat Grafting Performed?
Facial fat grafting is performed on an outpatient basis under either conscious sedation or general anesthetic. The first step of this procedure is to determine a donor area, which will be used to extract the excess fat. Fat is most commonly harvested from the abdomen, thighs, or hip region through small volume liposuction. The amount of fat collected will be dependent on the desired outcome. The harvested fat is then carefully prepared by processing in a centrifuge, filtration, or rinsing. This results in pure liquid fatty tissue. This purified fat is then precisely injected within defined regions to create a more youthful appearance. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Power has the skills and experience to correctly perform facial fat grafting, resulting in natural-looking and beautiful results.
Facial Fat Grafting Recovery
Patients may experience swelling and bruising of both the donor and treated areas following fat transfer surgery. Cold compresses and sleeping with your head elevated on 2-3 pillows can help to minimize swelling during early healing. The majority of swelling resolves over the first 6 weeks and final results gradually become apparent by one year post-operatively. Once the injected fat has achieved a blood supply at its new location, results may be more long-standing and potentially even permanent. There is typically little downtime and patients may generally return to work within one week of surgery, depending on the size and location of each treatment area. Wearing sunscreen is important, particularly over the first year, to lower the risk of permanent pigmentation changes. Dr. Power will provide you with specific instructions regarding recovery to ensure that you are pleased with your final outcome.
"What’s your superpower? We will help you find it."
- DR. STEPHANIE POWER