Wrinkle free with fat injections

The terms fat injection, fat transfer and fat transplant refer to the process of taking fat from one or more areas and injecting it into your facial area. The goal of the procedure is to add fullness to the face and by virtue of the fullness, give some lifting to the general facial structure.

As we age, the dermis under your skin thins out. This can leave the face looking too thin and has the effect of making the skin look like it sags. This happens to women and men of all body types: small frame, medium frame, large frame. Fat injections add fat to the area beneath the skin, and have the effect of 'filling out the face' to a more youthful state.

Most patients who have had an injectable procedure are pleased with the results. The treatments can, in many cases, significantly reduce facial wrinkling and sagging. However, their life span is relatively short (within six months). The good news is that when compare to other products almost all patients using fat injections retain some of the injected fat permanently. The results varies from patient to patient, and a second procedure may be needed to completely correct sagging or wrinkling.

Recently Cosmetic Harmony has gained popularity with its new procedure called LIPOSTRUCTURE. This procedure attempts to keep the extracted fat cells alive. The fat are taken from the patient's body, and placed into the new area much like traditional fat injections. However, the fat cells are kept alive, and a blood supply is established to the cells. The idea behind lipostructure is that by keeping the fat cells alive, they will not be reabsorbed into the body and results will last longer. This procedure is quite new, is more extensive, and requires very specific training on the part of the surgeon.

Besides fat, a number of other materials are used for injectable treatments as well. In the United States, these include Alloderm, BOTOX and COLLAGEN (Autologen). Be sure and discuss the different options with your surgeon to determine which injectable material is best for you.

In some cases, laser skin resurfacing, microdermabrasion or a chemical peel will work better than injections – especially for smoothing very fine surface wrinkles. These procedures do not directly restore volume to the face, but they do eliminate the high points of the wrinkles by removing the outer layers of the skin cells. Any of these treatments can be used in combination with injections. Consult with your doctor for more information about the best options for you.

Patients may be familiar with the use of fat injections for lip augmentation, but there are many other uses in the face. For example it can be used for the lines around the mouth. It can also be used in areas where one might have used facial implants, such as the cheeks or chin. It can be used as an all purpose 'filler' in the face. As we understand ageing better we have come to appreciate that in some patients, rather than stretching tissues, adding soft tissue volume (such as fat) will make the face look younger. We find ourselves using fat injections for 'touch-ups' and as a part of facelift surgery.

Fat transfers can be used for buttocks augmentation and contouring. This is also known as the Brazilian butt lift. Fat is first liposuctioned from the stomach or flank area and then processed in a special decanting technique. The purified fat is then or injected into the buttocks. Using fat transfers for butt augmentation gives a very flattering, sensual, and natural look.

Another area which can benefit from fat injections is the hands. Fat injections to the hands can give the hand a fuller and younger contour.

Compared to injectable facial filler such as Restylane, fat transfers are more of an involved procedure because the fat has to be harvested from another part of the body. However, unlike injectable fillers, fat transfers can be used in larger volumes to fill larger areas/defects and a good percentage stays permanently.

Fat injections can be done under local or sedation anesthesia. Using small syringes, fat is harvested from the hip, outer thighs, lower back, or lower abdomen. The fat is then processed in a special centrifuge, and is then injected into the desired area. When performed properly, a large percentage of the fat transfer will stay and the face will fill out to look more youthful.