What are Fat Injections?
Our face ages not only from laxity of the skin, but also due to loss of volume. This is most commonly seen in the drawn, pursed appearance around aging lips or the hollowness in aging cheeks. Filling out these areas with Fat Grafting or other facial fillers returns a youthful plumpness to the face and a healthier, more vigorous appearance.
Many fillers are available to diminish facial lines or add volume to specific facial features. One of these fillers is fat. In performing Fat Grafting, Dr. Maxwell will harvest fat from the abdomen or hips and inject it into the desired facial area. The lips, mouth and cheeks are all popular areas for this procedure. Because the tissue used is all your own, allergic reactions are avoided.
Who is a Good Candidate for Fat Injections?
Most patients who are experiencing volume loss but looking for more permanent results than dermal fillers like Juvéderm or Restylane. Fat injections require harvesting fat from a donor area using liposuction, meaning that candidates should have a suitable amount of fat to complete the procedure in areas like the abdomen, thighs, or hips. Most patients, even those who are lean, do not face problems in this regard because only a small amount of fat is required to complete facial fat injections. Before your procedure, Dr. Maxwell will examine the treatment area and review your health history to determine whether you are a good candidate for the procedure.
Fat Collection
Before the fat injection procedure, fat is first collected using liposuction of a donor area. Common donor areas include the abdomen, hips, thighs, or buttocks.
Patient Selection
Patients often choose fat injections if they are already interested in liposuction to sculpt these areas.
Fat Preparation
After it is collected, the fat is then prepared for injections.
Injection Process
At this point, fat transfer injections are similar to injections of dermal fillers. Topical numbing cream can be applied to the treatment area to keep you comfortable, but this is not always necessary.
Fat Injections Recovery and Results
Recovery after fat injections is minimal. The recovery period is more or less similar to that of liposuction as you heal from collecting fat from the donor area. After the injections, you can expect some swelling and redness but should see an immediate change in your facial volume. Swelling should dissipate within about a week of the injections. Dr. Maxwell will inject more fat than is necessary to achieve your desired results, as only about 50% of the fat that is injected will remain in place permanently. This is because some of the fat will fail to establish a blood supply and will therefore be naturally metabolized by the body. Fat that does survive will remain in place permanently, meaning that your results will be long-lasting.