Fat Transfer
Much of facial aging occurs with the loss of underlying fatty tissue. With age, the fatty tissue of the face diminishes, and skin loses its support. This contributes to drooping and wrinkling in the face. In traditional rejuvenation surgery, surgeons have always been limited to re-positioning or tightening existing tissue and skin. Tightening and lifting the skin is not always the answer to facial rejuvenation. Tighter does not necessarily mean younger; fuller is younger. By using your own fat to fill in areas on the face and hands, Dr. Finn can plump up the cheek bones, define the jaw line, improve the hollow look underneath the eyes, and more.
What can I expect?
Dr. Finn performs a mini-liposuction to gently take out fat by hand from any areas of excess. The abdomen, thighs, or hips function the best for this step. The fat is then carefully purified and concentrated. The facial areas are anesthetized, and Dr. Finn injects micro-droplets of fat into the subcutaneous tissues. By injecting small droplets, longevity of transferred fat is enhanced.
Initially, Dr. Finn overfills the areas, and there is some absorption of the injected fat. Some bruising and swelling occurs on the face that may last for several days. Fat Transfer is done without any incisions, and patients are up and about immediately after the procedure.
What may be achieved with Fat Transfer?
Fat Transfer can enhance a multitude of areas. Lips can be augmented, the nasolabial folds can be filled, hollows under the eyes can be filled, and cheekbones and jaw lines can be made more prominent. It has also been used effectively to improve atrophic aging of the hands as well as post-surgical and post-trauma defects.
Fat Transfer creates a more natural rejuvenation without any hint of a “stretched” look. By using the body’s own tissues, allergic reactions and side effects common with other filling materials are minimized. Improved contour of the donor area is an added benefit. Some patients choose to proceed with contour liposuction on various areas as well.
What is the recommended course of treatment?
Fat transfer is long lasting, but results vary for each individual patient. People metabolize the transferred fat at different rates. Different recipient areas respond differently to injected fat. For example, cheeks tend to hold onto fat better than the mouth area. Fat transfer can last from four months to years on many patients. Fat transfer can be repeated if necessary, and results can be further enhanced with other injectable fillers.