"My face feels thin and sags"
What are fat injections or fat transfers?
The terms fat injection and fat transfer refer to the process of taking fat from your stomach area (or another area) and injecting it into your facial area. The goal of the procedure is to add fullness to the face and by virtue of the fullness, give some lifting to the general facial structure.
Who is a candidate for fat injection to the face?
As we age, the dermis under your skin thins out. This can leave the face looking too thin and has the effect of making the skin look like it sags. This happens to women of all body types: small frame, medium frame, large frame. Fat injections add fat to the area beneath the skin, and has the effect of 'filling out the face' to a more youthful state.
Do fat injections last?
Some patients think that fat injections “do not last”. However, this is not the case. When properly done, a large percentage of the injected fat cells do indeed survive. These are ‘permanent’. Since some fat cells are lost, the effect of the fat transfer is not as dramatic after a few weeks. For this reason, we tend to ‘overcorrect’, or inject more than we need to, knowing that after a few weeks the final result will be more to the patient’s liking. If we inject less, the patient may be happy with the initial result, but be disappointed over time as the results ‘disappear’.
Who can benefit from fat injections or fat transfers to the face?
Patients may be familiar with the use of fat injections for lip augmentation, but there are many other uses in the face. For example it can be used for the lines around the mouth. It can also be used in areas where one might have used facial implants, such as the cheeks or chin. It can be used as an all purpose ‘filler’ in the face. As we understand ageing better we have come to appreciate that in some patients, rather than stretching tissues, adding soft tissue volume (such as fat) will make the face look younger. We find ourselves using fat injections for ‘touch-ups’ and as a part of facelift surgery.
What other parts of the body are fat injections or fat transfers done?
Fat transfers can be used for buttocks augmentation. This is also known as the brazilian butt lift. Fat is first liposuctioned from the stomach or flank area and then processed in a special decanting technique. The purified fat is then transfered or injected into the butt with special cannulas. Using fat transfers for buttocks augmentation gives a very flattering, sensual, and natural look.
How are fat injections different from injectible fillers like restylane?
Compared to injectable fillers such as Restylane, fat transfers are more of an involved procedure because the fat has to be harvested from another part of the body. However, unlike injectable fillers, fat transfers can be used in larger volumes to fill larger defects.
What is involved in the fat transfer or fat injection procedure for the facial area?
Fat injections can be done under local or sedation anesthesia. Using small syringes, fat is harvested from the hip, inner or outer thigh, lower back, or lower abdomen. The fat is then processed in a special centrifuge, and is then injected into the desired area. When performed properly, a large percentage of the fat transfer will stay and the face will fill out to look more youthful.
Dr. Somsak Kunachakr is a board certified plastic surgeon specialising in cosmetic surgery procedures in Kasemrad Cosmetic Surgery Center, Bangkok, Thailand. His expertise includes facelift, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, body lift, liposuction, sex change surgery and breast enhancement procedures, such as breast augmentation, breast lift and breast reduction.
