WHAT IS FACIAL FAT GRAFTING?
Plastic Surgery Dubai | 5 October 2024
A surgical procedure known as “fat transfer to face,” sometimes known as “facial fat grafting,” involves removing fat from another part of the body, processing it, and then reintroducing it to the face. This procedure will add volume to aged facial areas while also reviving the skin above by injecting this naturally occurring fat into the face.
Collagen, the protein that keeps our skin youthful and firm, is a protein that our bodies make less and less of as we get older. Our skin loses flexibility as our collagen levels drop, wrinkling and sagging as a result. Fat transfer to the face is a fantastic approach to cover flaws, enhance contouring, and assist add volume back to the face, especially in areas that have lost volume with ageing.
A facial fat graft might produce greater outcomes if you’re seeking for a permanent fix for your ageing facial features than a non-surgical procedure like dermal fillers. A fat transfer to the face is a more natural solution than dermal fillers because the donor material is the fat from your own body.
A blood supply is established by between 50 and 70 percent of fat cells that survive the transfer process, indicating that the outcomes are long-lasting. Dermal fillers can only be injected so many times at once, and the effects usually wear off after six months.
A minimally invasive technique, or one that requires little recovery time, is fat transfer to the face.
To further improve the outcome, a face fat graft might be combined with other treatments. A small facelift or blepharoplasty, a treatment that tackles common ageing symptoms that appear around the eyes, may be an option here.
WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR FACIAL FAT TRANSFER?
If each of the following statements about a patient is true, Dr. Vigo deems them suitable for the procedure:
– your mental and physical health are both good.
– your body weight is at its perfect level.
– you view the potential benefits of fat transfer with optimism and reasonable expectations.
– you want to make your face’s contours better.
– you want to make your facial skin’s surface look more youthful.
– you want to get rid of wrinkles and fine lines.
– you want dermal fillers because they can provide longer-lasting results.
WHAT IS INVOLVED IN FACIAL FAT GRAFTING?
The technique entails using liposuction to remove fat from regions where it is either superfluous or undesirable before reinjecting it into the face. Liposuction is used to first remove fat cells from the donor area, which is typically the stomach, thighs, or buttocks.
Before being injected into the facial region, these cells are centrifuged, cleaned, and then processed. Dr. Vigo completes this procedure in between 30 and 45 minutes. It is a day-case treatment that is carried out under local anaesthesia and does not require an overnight stay. The effects are quick, natural, and long-lasting.
WHAT FACIAL REGIONS ARE BEST SUITED TO FAT TRANSFER TREATMENT?
The common indications of facial ageing, such as fine lines, eye bags, frown lines, and sunken cheeks, can be successfully treated with fat transfer to the face. A haggard and worn-out face will look fresh, plump, and revitalised after the operation. The cheeks, lips, and eyes will regain volume thanks to a face fat graft.
The face can be treated in a number of different locations with fat transfer.
Sunken cheeks are a typical side effect of age brought on by the resorption of bone and fat deposits, and the surgery is a popular option for restoring them. A cheek fat transfer will assist in restoring the pronounced cheekbones associated with youth.
The hollowness left at the temples and forehead produced by ageing can potentially be filled via facial fat transfer.
A fat transfer under the brows will elevate the brows and upper eyelids, giving the eyes a more wide-eyed, youthful appearance.
Facial fat grafting is a fantastic approach to restore tissue loss and improve the appearance of a pointed chin in elderly adults.
In addition to being able to be paired with other treatments, face fat transfer is a worthwhile option to explore if you already had liposuction to shape and contour other areas of the body, such the thighs or the stomach. This means that following liposuction, the extra fat that was taken might be utilised rather than discarded.
IS THE FACE’S FAT TRANSFER PAINFUL?
It is not painful to transfer fat. During the process, you will be entirely sedated or under the influence of an anaesthetic, so you won’t feel a thing.
You will then be given paracetamol to treat any subsequent minor discomfort you may feel. There is always the option to perform the treatment completely sedated or under general anaesthesia for people who are concerned about pain.
AFTER FAT TRANSFER TO THE FACE, IS THERE ANY RECOVERY TIME?
A face fat graft is a minimally invasive operation, thus there is little recovery time needed. We advise taking a few days off from work so the swelling can go down. Within a week, you ought to be back at work, and after two weeks, you should be able to resume exercising.
Before you may resume more difficult physical activity, such as lifting heavy weights and engaging in strong cardio exercises, we usually advise starting with low impact exercises like walking and cycling.
Dr. Vigo will ask that you refrain from exercising for the first two weeks to give the facial fat transplant time to accept its new blood supply because one possible risk of the procedure is that the fat won’t “take.” Following surgery, you can resume driving after a few days. After a few days, restricted sexual activity can be resumed. You can talk more specifically about this with Dr. Vigo. It’s crucial that you adhere to Dr. Vigo’s aftercare recommendations. Failure to do so could affect the effects of the facial fat transfer and cause the healing process to be slowed down.