A Facial Fat Transfer Fills in Those Hollow Areas

Thanks to a number of factors, including age, genetics, malnutrition, sun damage, excessive consumption of alcohol, and cigarette smoking, our facial skin tends to lose its natural volume, leaving us with hollow sunken eyes, cheeks, and temples. In the world of both natural and synthetic dermal fillers, there is an organic procedure called fat transfer that is being widely used for correcting the loss of facial volume in both women and men.

What Is a Facial Fat Transfer?

Microlipoinjection, or fat transfer, is a facial-rejuvenation procedure that is a minimally invasive alternative for individuals who are not ready to go under the knife for plastic surgery procedures such as the facelift. The procedure entails extracting fat cells from different parts of your own body and then transferring them to areas of your face like the cheeks, undereye area, chin, or lips that need volume correction. It is also used for minimizing the visibility of pitted scars and reducing wrinkles and creases within the facial skin. The procedure not only provides a youthful plumpness to the emaciated areas of your face but also enhances the definition and contours of your facial features.

How Is the Facial Fat Transfer Procedure Carried Out?

The process is often referred to as autologous fat transfer, since it involves the transfer of fat from a different part of the patient’s own body. The fat transfer is carried out in three steps. First, the fat cells are extracted from the donor site, which is typically located in the thighs, jowls, buttocks, or abdomen. These cells are harvested through a process called liposuction.

The next step is isolation and purification of the extracted cells. This is done by placing the fat cells in a centrifuge, where they are separated into three parts: the blood, the healthy fat cells, and the unusable fat cells. The healthy fat cells are then separated and cleansed through the process of filtration.

The actual process of transferring the purified cells into the treatment site is a longer process and requires utmost caution. The fat is carefully transferred to the injection site with the help of a needle called cannula.

Who Is an Ideal Candidate for a Facial Fat Transfer?

Since microlipoinjection is primarily used for facial rejuvenation, you can choose to get it done if you:
• Have smile lines, marionette lines, frown lines, or other wrinkles in any part of your face
• Have loss of volume in the cheeks, temples, neck region, or under the eyes
• Have pitted acne scars
• Have thin lips

Recovery and Results

The results are apparent almost immediately after the procedure is performed. The transferred cells not only add instant volume to the hollow areas of the face but also enhance the production of collagen in the body, ensuring that the correction stays permanent. Facial fat grafting is a procedure that requires zero downtime.

Find Out More About Facial Fat Transfer

Facial plastic surgery specialist Dr. Andres Gantous has a great deal of experience with facial fat transfer and numerous other facial procedures. If you would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Gantous, contact our office today.