Most people want to appear more youthful as they age, but time often tends to take a toll on someone’s face. The phrase “fat transfer” may sound unusual, but the fact is that it’s a healthy amount of facial fat that gives your face a youthful look. Whether you find yourself aging or have lost weight, you may discover that your cheeks or temples appear sunken, or that your face is lacking the youthful roundness it once had. If this sounds like you, you might be a candidate for fat transfer.
How Does Fat Transfer Improve Your Appearance?
In a culture where fat loss is a focus, it may seem strange to say that transferring fat to your face is a good idea. However, when you are young, facial fat is what’s responsible for smooth contours and the youthful “glow” that many young people have. As you age, these contours become less smooth. This is often due to a variety of factors. These factors include a number of things, including weight loss and gravity.
While getting a leaner-looking face as you age may sound appealing, the fact is that a rapid loss of facial fat will often lead to sunken-looking cheeks, circles under the eyes, and hollowed-out temples. With fat transfer, you can improve hollows in your face and smooth out the overall look of your complexion, making yourself look younger and more full of energy.
Where is the Fat Taken From?
This procedure is called “fat transfer,” but before you commit to undergoing it, you likely want to know where the transferred fat is coming from. The fat is transferred from another area of your body, typically from the thighs or stomach. This may sound off-putting, but the fact is that facial fat transfers generally involve small amounts of fat. Thus, while you will have two areas to heal–the site of the initial fat harvest and the transfer site–each area will be relatively small.
The harvesting of fat is typically done very inconspicuously, so you can expect little to no scarring from the procedure. Of course if you are concerned about scarring, be sure to talk to your surgeon–he or she may be able to help ensure that you have as little scarring as possible. And because the amount of fat taken from a different area of your body tends to be very small, you likely can work with your doctor to choose from a variety of areas of your body.
How Does the Procedure Work?
Facial fat transfer is a two=step procedure. In the first step, fat is taken from another area of your body, typically the thighs or stomach. This fat removal is accomplished through liposuction, in which a cannula, or slender tube, is inserted beneath your skin. The cannula then essentially vacuums fat from beneath your skin. Because the only incision in liposuction is the tiny hole the cannula makes, you likely will have either very little scarring or no scarring at all once the incision has healed. And because the amount of fat removed is very small, you also are not likely to notice a major difference in your body contours.
The second phase of the procedure is the transfer of the harvested fat to your face. The fat transfer involves injecting the collected fat under your skin. First, though, the fat is purified. Once it is injected, your surgeon will make sure that it’s spread evenly under your skin to ensure maximum smoothness and best results. And because the injection sites are so small, you won’t experience any lasting scarring.
This procedure is popular with those who want to look younger, but who don’t necessarily want to pursue major surgery on the bones of the face. Because it doesn’t involve your bones, recovery time is generally shorter than the recovery time for rhinoplasty or other major surgeries.
How Permanent Are the Results?
One of the main draws of facial fat transfer is the fact that it’s permanent. Barring extreme weight loss, the contours created by adding a bit of fat to your face are there to stay.
Therefore, facial fat transfer tends to be a preferred method compared to other methods of facial rejuvenation. Other methods tend to focus just on the surface level of your face, but this one works at a level below the skin to help ensure lasting results.
How Can I Choose a Surgeon?
If you have decided facial fat transfer is for you, or if you want to schedule a consultation to see if it’s the right option, your next big step is finding a surgeon.
However, this can often prove to be a difficult task. For many people, distance is understandably a limiting factor, as nobody has unlimited time and resources to travel thousands of miles to see a surgeon. If you have the finances and ability to travel far, though, it may be helpful to also search outside of your immediate geographic area.
You also will want to look at several examples of each surgeon’s work. You may find that, across even many types of patients, a given surgeon’s before and after pictures catch your eye. If this happens, it’s well worth giving this surgeon a closer look.
And lastly, as you search for surgeons, keeping your budget in mind is useful. Some offices may offer payment plans, and others may be able to refer you to a medical credit agency that can help you manage debt from the procedure.
Ready to Get Started?
If you miss your youthful facial contours and are ready to pursue fat transfer, you may be eager to find a surgeon. If you are in or near the Miami area, Dr. Bustillo may be a good choice for you. Andres Bustillo, M.D. is board-certified and well known for his expertise in various forms of facial surgery and other cosmetic procedures, including fat transfer.
