Fat Transfer
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As we age, so does our skin. The signs of aging become evident on the face with the appearance of wrinkles, sunken cheeks, and lost facial volume. The sagging facial tissue is what gives away our age, but there’s a way to keep your youthful look alive by choosing to undergo a fat transfer procedure for the face.
Fat transfer is a procedure that restores volume to areas of the face that tend to thin and hollow over time, including the cheekbones and beneath the eyes. It can also be used to fill deep creases or smooth wrinkles near the nose and mouth. The fat is typically taken from the belly and transferred to the face.
FAQ
How does a fat transfer differ from fillers?
Fat transfer uses your body’s own fat tissues to improve the appearance and youthfulness of your face. This makes it a much safer procedure when compared to others as there are lower risks of complication when the patient’s own fat tissues are used.
Who is a candidate for a fat transfer?
Patients with signs of facial aging may notice bothersome wrinkles, dark circles under the eyes, or areas of volume loss in the face with time. All of these can be improved with fat transfer procedures to rejuvenate the facial appearance and restore a more rested and healthy look.
Apart from this, patients who are healthy and have a good medical history without suffering from any chronic illnesses will be good candidates for such a procedure. It is also important that they keep realistic expectations of what the procedure can achieve and are optimistic about its results.
Where is the fat obtained from during fat transfer?
Fat tissue is obtained from the abdomen using a minimally invasive approach to collect the fat prior to treatment of the face. This provides your body’s own tissue in order to make improvements in your appearance without the need for incisions or injection of facial filler materials.
What Happens During the Procedure?
The fat transfer procedure can be performed on its own or in combination with a facelift to obtain better results from the facelift. Local anesthesia is administered in the area that fat will be removed from as well as the face. The fat collected is then injected into the desired areas. The entire procedure usually takes 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete.
How to Prepare for the Procedure
At your initial consultation about the fat transfer procedure, you’ll have a chance to clarify any doubts you have after you’re taken through details about the procedure. Your medical history will also be evaluated and you will be asked to stop taking certain medications that could negatively impact the outcome of the procedure. This includes aspirin, herbal supplements, and anti-inflammatory drugs.
What is Recovery Like?
Some swelling is normal after the procedure, but this can be dealt with easily by using ice and sleeping in a propped-up position. It is imperative that you limit strenuous physical activity for the a week following the procedure. While results become evident within the first 5 weeks of the procedure, your final results will appear in 6 months.
