Face Fat Grafting
In Face Fat Grafting, fat is moved from another part of your body to your face. This procedure can
also be called fat transfer, micro-lipo injection, facial fat rejuvenation, autologous fat transfer, or fat
injection. Fat can be harvested from your abdomen, thigh, buttocks, or elsewhere. It results in a
more youthful appearance due to fat fillers in the face and can also correct certain problems, like
scars.
Facial Fat transfers can last for several years and in many cases, may also be permanent. However,
Face Fat Grafting does not protect against future aging. Facial Fat Grafting can minimize current aging symptoms but you may see your results slightly diminish over time.
Face Fat Grafting is commonly performed along with other facial rejuvenation procedures, such as a
facelift or an eyelift. Face Fat Grafting involves three steps. First, fat is removed from another part of the body using a needle. Second, the fat is cleaned, so that only whole, undamaged fat cells are used and third, the fat cells are injected into the targeted areas. The entire procedure takes about two hours.
Before your Face Fat Grafting
Before you actually undergo the procedure, Dr. S. Suma, one of the best facial fat grafting surgeons, will meet with you for a one-on-one consultation. She will discuss your goals for undergoing full Face Fat Grafting. She will also assess your facial structure and aging progression. She will then discuss your options for treatment based on your treatment goals. She will also discuss any concerns you may have, as well as the details of the operation and postoperative care. She will also take photographs of your face from different angles to be compared to your photographs post-procedure.
The basic requirements for Face Fat Grafting are that you should be healthy, with realistic expectations. You should have adequate fat to harvest and should be at a stable weight before undergoing the procedure. This is a relatively low-risk procedure, so the requirements needed for surgery are not too demanding.
If you have acne scars, sunken cheeks, the disappearance of fat from your cheekbones, hemifacial atrophy, deep grooves running from the nose to the corner of the mouth, or lines between your lower eyelids and cheeks, you may be a candidate for Face Fat Grafting.
During your Face Fat Grafting
During the procedure, both the donor and recipient sites of the fat are numbed with local anesthesia. However, if larger volumes of fat are required, Dr. S. Suma may recommend sedation or general anesthesia.
After cleansing and treatment with local anesthesia, your cosmetic surgeon will withdraw fat using a syringe and a cannula. The latter is a thin tube inserted into the body. Once the fat is removed from the body it is purified to remove the blood and damaged cells. It is then injected into your face with a needle. Slight overfilling of the fat may be necessary as some fat may be reabsorbed by the body over time, resulting in a reduced volume post-surgery.
The entire process takes about an hour.
Precautions and Procedures before and after Face Fat Grafting
An ideal candidate for Face Fat Grafting, is someone who does not have any pre-existing medical problems and who has realistic expectations as far as the surgery is concerned. While the access points heal in a couple of days, you may have bruising, swelling, and restriction of movement of the treated areas for about one week post-surgery. You can use a cold pack and a compress in the first few hours post-surgery.
You should have a check-up with Dr. S. Suma after about five to seven days and again, after about three weeks. By then, most of the swelling would have disappeared but the correction may still look a little exaggerated. This is because most cosmetic surgeons overcorrect by injecting more fat than needed because 25 to 30% of the fat cells do not survive.
You can possibly begin to take showers after one week. You may also be able to go back to work within a week, depending on the extent to which face fat grafting has been done. You can also resume light cardio exercise within four to seven days and more strenuous exercise within two to three weeks. However, the recovery process is variable and is based on how much fat was transferred.
Dressings may be placed on the injected areas. These dressings may be either tape dressings, or may be compressive-type dressings. Dr. S. Suma may request that you not sit or lie on the injected areas for a certain amount of time. Swelling and bruising usually resolve from 3 weeks to 3 months.
Face Fat Grafting Result
Most patients report results lasting for one year or more. The procedure results in cheek augmentation and overall plumpness of the face. However, sometimes half of the injected fullness disappears within three to six months. Therefore, repeat injections may be necessary. Dr. S. Suma will advise you as to how to maintain your results with repeat injections, if necessary.
The final result should be assessed after about three months. Your surgeon will then take photographs to be compared with your photographs before the procedure. If you lose or gain a significant amount of weight post-procedure, your fat cells that have been injected could expand or shrink. This could affect the overall results of the procedure. This is why patients who are of stable weight are preferred, and it is also recommended that they maintain their weight post-surgery.