Fat Transfer for Facial Rejuvenation
Did you know that facial volume loss can make you look older even if you don’t have many wrinkles? While fine lines and wrinkles can add years to a person’s appearance, volume loss in the cheeks and around the eyes creates a gauntness that can even more noticeably expose an aging face. In contrast, a youthful face has smooth skin along with defined contours and full cheeks. Fat transfer is a unique facial rejuvenation procedure that reverses volume loss and restores the soft facial contours associated with youth and beauty.
Why Fat Transfer?
The fat transfer procedure harvests excess fat from another area of your body and then injects it into the face. Contrary to the general perception that fat is the enemy, facial fat is an essential part of a youthful appearance. Children’s faces often have chubby cheeks, and even through the teen years, there is a natural roundness that depicts a youthful quality in the face. The gradual depletion of volume over time leads to a progressively aged appearance. Using fat to restore lost facial volume allows you to recapture the softness and definition of your youth.
The Fat Transfer Procedure
To harvest the fat that is to be transferred to the face, Dr. Schlechter performs liposuction on another area of the body that has excess or stubborn fat, such as the abdomen, hips, or thighs. Dr. Schlechter uses the revolutionary AquaShape® system for the liposuction portion of the fat transfer procedure. This technology uses a water-jet to gently separate the fat cells from the surrounding tissues, which improves the survival rate of the harvested fat cells and allows more fat to be extracted. Once removed, the fat cells are processed, purified, and strategically reinjected into specific areas of the face to enhance facial definition and vitality.
Areas of Focus
Fat transfer to the face can rejuvenate thinning areas of volume loss, including the following:
- Hollows under the eyes
- Flat, poorly defined cheeks
- Volume loss in the temples
- Nasolabial folds (creases around the mouth and nose)
- Thin or thinning lips
With the addition of new fat, these areas will have more volume and will look more vibrant, full, and youthful.
Expected Results
Patients that undergo fat transfer for facial rejuvenation can expect long-lasting results. Because Dr. Schlechter utilizes the AquaShape® method of liposuction, the fat that is injected into the face has a greater likelihood of survival. This means that unlike other fat transfer techniques (for which the fat has an unpredictable and relatively low survival rate), the results are more predictable and maintainable.
Because the body will absorb some of the injected fat cells, multiple sessions may be needed to achieve the desired results. Within a few months after the treatment, the final results will be visible and permanent. Patients can also enjoy the benefits of fat removal at the harvest site because it slenderizes the body in addition to refreshing the face.
Fat transfer can rejuvenate an aging face, restore soft contours, and recapture youthful definition and fullness. Dr. Schlechter also performs fat transfer procedures for breast augmentation, buttock enhancement, and other purposes.
To learn more about how the fat transfer procedure can rejuvenate your appearance, request your complimentary consultation with Benjamin Schlechter, MD, FACS. Please call us at (610) 678-9200 or at your earliest convenience to schedule your appointment.
