Fat Transfer

Fat taken from your own body is one of the most frequently used material for filling facial wrinkles and frown lines. It is used to fill hollow areas and enhance shape.

Fat transfer (also called autologous fat transfer or micro-lipo injection), fills facial features with a patient's own fat. Because the fat comes from your own body, you cannot develop an allergic reaction. Fat transfer to the face is a safe procedure designed to recontour the shape of the aging face and provide definition to cheeks, chin, lips and lower eyes.

The fat used for fat transfer is liposuctioned from another part of your body like the abdomen or thighs and injected into another area that requires plumping, reshaping or enhancing. Recently we have learned a great deal about the aging face. While before, it was thought that the main cause of aging is lax skin, now we recognize that wrinkles and hollow areas of the face are due to loss of fat in the facial tissue. As we age fat disappear from the cheeks, mid-face, chin and lips. Fat also migrate down towards the jowls and naso-labial folds. Fat grafting or Micro-lipo injection can remedy this condition and rejuvenate the aging face.

Fat grafting can also correct dimples, and deep furrows in the skin.

Fat injection is also used to enhance and reshape the buttocks. For this larger volume of fat is needed and at least repeated three times to achieve the required results. This is limited by the amount of excess fat you have in other areas to donate to the buttocks. Buttock enhancement by lipo injection is safe and natural. Does not need maintenance and is permanent.

Injected fat lasts longer in areas of non-movement or minimal movement. It is successful for the correction of grooves under the eyes and sunken cheeks. Fat grafting can also correct atrophic aging of the hands.

Not every area of the body responds well to fat transfer. Fat cannot be injected into the breasts, because this makes it very difficult to detect breast cancer with mammograms.

Fat grafting is performed in our office on an outpatient basis. Both the area from which the fat is taken and the treatment site are anesthetized with a local anesthetic. Using a small needle, fat is removed from a donor site where your fat is abundant, such as your abdomen, thighs or buttocks.

Once removed, your fat is processed to remove excess fluids, and oil, and then injected using a blunt needle, which is placed just under your skin beneath the wrinkle. This process may be repeated until the desired correction has been achieved.

Swelling and bruising is expected after fat injection and discomfort following the procedure can be easily controlled with medication. There may also be some bruising in both the donor and recipient areas. Over the first few months your body will absorb some of the fat. The remaining part will usually stay in place. For longer lasting results, patients usually receive three or four treatments over six months.