Loss of fat volume in the face is part of the aging process. The most significant volume loss usually occurs around the eyes, cheeks, and jawline, leaving the face appearing gaunt or hollowed. Volume loss is a major contributing factor in an aging facial appearance.
Fortunately, facial fat transfer, a gentle procedure with minimal risks and downtime, is now available to help restore lost volume in the face. As a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive training in aesthetic procedures of the face, Dr. Albert Andres performs facial fat transfer in Scottsdale with artistry and skill.
What is Facial Fat Transfer?
Also known as fat grafting, fat transfer is a procedure in which fat is harvested from one area of the body that has an excess, purified, and injected into another area of the body lacking volume. This safe, well-tolerated procedure produces natural-looking, long-lasting results.
In a facial fat transfer procedure, fat is removed from the abdomen, thighs, or other area and injected to restore volume on the face. Dr. Andres uses fat grafting to:
- Restore volume to the cheeks, jawline, and around the eyes
- Fill in acne scars and sunken areas
- Plump up the lips
- Improve the contours of the nose
- Correct depressions and indentations
- Minimize forehead lines and vertical scowl lines
- Smooth nasolabial folds (from the nose to the mouth corners) and marionette lines (from the mouth corners along the sides of the chin)
How Is Facial Fat Transfer Performed?
In a your Phoenix facial fat transfer procedure, fat is harvested from an area of the body, purified, and carefully injected with specially designed needles to augment sunken areas of the face. Fat transfer is performed in a three-stage process:
- Harvesting: Dr. Andres will select a site for fat removal, such as the abdomen or thighs, and inject it with local anesthetic. He will create a small incision in the site, insert a cannula (thin mental tube), and carefully extract fat for the procedure.
- Purification: When enough fat has been collected from the donor site, it is spun in a centrifuge to remove impurities and transferred to small syringes that protect the fat cells during injection.
- Placement: The fat transfer procedure is completed by injecting the purified fat into the target areas of the face. Fat cells are injected into selected sites at the depths required to achieve stunning, natural-looking results.
How Long Does Facial Fat Transfer Last?
Long-lasting results are one of the advantages of facial fat grafting over injectable dermal fillers. Unlike Juvéderm, Restylane, and other dermal fillers that are absorbed by the body over time, fat transfer does not require regular repeat treatments.
During the first six weeks after your facial fat transfer in Scottsdale, some of the transferred fat cells will die and be absorbed by the body. When fat grafting is performed with meticulous care, however, most of the fat cells will survive and function in the new location as living tissue. After facial fat transfer, weight fluctuations can increase or decrease facial fat volume, just as they do in any other area of the body.
Reasons to Have Facial Fat Transfer
Patients become interested in facial fat transfer after hearing about its many benefits. This minimally-invasive treatment allows you to turn back the clock on your facial appearance with long-lasting results that look completely natural.
Facial fat grafting can smooth lines and wrinkles, add volume where it is needed, and highlight your most attractive facial features. More patients today are choosing our Phoenix facial fat transfer for several important reasons:
- Minimal recovery: Compared to surgical procedures for facial rejuvenation, fat transfer requires very little recovery time, and causes minimal post-procedure discomfort.
- Natural-looking results: Fat transfer uses your body’s own fat cells for results that look and feel soft and natural.
- No negative reactions: Some people experience reactions to synthetic dermal fillers. This is not an issue with fat transfer, as the procedure uses your body’s own natural fat.
- Healthier, glowing skin: In facial fat transfer, stem cells and growth factors (substances required to stimulate growth in living cells) are transferred along with the fat for a rejuvenating effect on your skin.
- Flexible treatment: As a facial rejuvenation treatment option, facial fat transfer has superior flexibility. It can be used in almost every area of the face and neck to correct a variety of cosmetic issues. Dr. Albert Andres uses facial fat transfer to smooth lines around the mouth, add volume to the cheeks or chin, correct humps or dents in the nose, and many other cosmetic applications, for exceptional aesthetic results.
