Facial fat grafting uses fat cells harvested from your own body. These are reinjected to enhance facial fullness. It can fill deep creases and build up shallow contours. Dr. Thomassen performs this procedure under local or IV sedation in his office in Fort Lauderdale. For patients looking for a comprehensive rejuvenation with minimal downtime, this is an excellent option.
Benefits of Facial Fat Grafting
It offers ample volume
Fat can be harvested with minimal discomfort from the tummy or medial thigh. These areas provide ample quantities of fat. Only 20 to 40 ml are needed for a comprehensive facial rejuvenation. This amount removed from the abdomen or medial thighs will not result in a visible change.
Natural Tissue
Because it is your own tissue, your body won’t reject it. It will result in a smooth rejuvenation. This is true even in hard to correct areas like eyelids and tear troughs.
Fat Derived Stem Cells
Fat derived stem cells are injected with these grafts. These stem cell have the potential to improve overlying scars and offer other benefits to the overlying skin. There is anecdotal evidence of significant improvement in scar maturation and in skin health after fat grafting.
Excellent Option for Younger Patients
In younger individuals interested in a rejuvenative procedure, fat grafting adds volume to areas with early signs of atrophy. These areas include nasolabial folds, lips, and cheeks.
Improves Results of Facelift Surgeries
In older individuals that would benefit from a facelift procedure, fat grafting is often added. This addition restores volume that improves fine lines. These lines are not addressed with the facelift technique. In fact, the combination of a facelift with fat grafting has become the gold standard in facial rejuvenation.
Minimal Risks
Fat grafting does not come entirely without risks. The fat donor site can suffer bruising and swelling after the procedure. The small volumes required for fat grafting to the face are in the order of 20-40 cc. These volumes do not result in significant changes to the donor site.
There is also swelling and bruising that can result from injecting the fat. This is probably the biggest drawback. If bruising occurs, it can take 2-3 weeks to completely resolve. The careful use of local anesthetics and anti-bruising oral homeopathic agents can help limit this.
Details of the Procedure
Fat grafting to the face uses liposuction techniques to extract the fat before injection. The procedure can be performed under local anesthesia but more commonly used IV sedation for optimal patient comfort.
The patient’s body is examined to determine where an adequate fat deposit exists. The more common areas for harvest are the anterior abdomen and medial thighs.
Using cannulas and syringe suction, the fat is liposuctioned and immediately processed with centrifugation to remove red blood cells. A portion of the centrifuged contains platelet and fat derived stem cells. These cells can help with the healing and take of the fat. The fat portion is separated and then injected with small syringes to areas of the face that need volume.
The most common areas injected with fat are the tear troughs, temples, malar eminences, submalar depressions.
Results of the Procedure
Treatment results last up to a year or more in some cases and are highly variable. In some cases, repeating the procedure in 12-16 months provides more favorable long term results.
Learn more about facial fat grafting in the American Society of Plastic Surgery website.
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