Is Fat the Ideal Anti-Aging Solution?

Fat is a necessity. We need some bit of fat on the body to support our energy and vitality. Still, we tend to do all that we can to avoid too much of it. For years, people who have struggled to eliminate stubborn pockets of fat somewhere on the body have joked about how wonderful it would be to simply take that unwanted fat and move it elsewhere. Well, that time has come. Today, many adults use the fat they don’t want in one area to rejuvenate the aging face. Here, we discuss what fat transfer can do and what to expect should you choose this innovative treatment. 

What Exactly Is a Fat Transfer?

Fat transfer, or fat grafting or fat injections, is a treatment that improves facial contours by adding volume to specific areas. The concept is like that of dermal fillers, only using your own cells. To achieve this, the surgeon extracts the necessary amount of fat using gentle liposuction. Areas that usually have some fat to spare include the lower abdomen, lower back, hips, or inner or outer thighs. The area from which we extract fat is called the donor site. The fat that is removed from the donor site is processed to separate out unnecessary fluids, leaving us with pure liquid gold. The fat is placed into syringes and injected into areas of the face that have lost volume. 

Is Fat Transfer Better than Fillers?

It is not possible to say that fat transfer is the right option for every person. There are pros and cons to each treatment, even while the general objective is the same. Both fillers and fat transfer are commonly used to plump the cheeks, fill in the temples, enhance the lips, and disguise under eye bags. In addition to improving contours, fat transfer also replenishes blood supply and nutrients to the skin as new cells integrate into their new area of the body. While fillers are a temporary solution and treatment must be repeated as often as every few months, depending on the target area, there is no downtime nor anesthesia needed to undergo these injections. Fat transfer does not require general anesthesia. The outpatient procedure is performed using a local anesthesia that numbs the donor site. The length of the procedure is also different. Standard filler treatment typically takes less than 30 minutes. Fat transfer can take a few hours. However, the results are permanent. 

Fat transfer may be the filler of the future. To learn more about this procedure, contact our Bloomington office at (309) 664-1007 and schedule your consultation.