Beauty Doc Blog

Fat grafting is an exciting body enhancement procedure that is not very invasive yet offers a visibly youthful look. Also referred to as fat transfer, fat grafting is a special procedure that removes excess fat cells from various areas of the body and then reimplants them to other areas where they are desired. Body areas such as the chin, cheeks, under eyes, lips, mouth to nose folds (called nasolabials), temples and more can be improved with fat grafting.

Patients can choose fat grafting to create symmetry or to rejuvenate their appearances. Because the fat comes right from the patient’s own body, there is no possibility of an allergic reaction as exists with other external implant substances that may be introduced into the body. The fat is harvested from areas such as the buttocks, abdomen and thighs where excess fat cells traditionally exist. The extracted fat is then purified to get the fat cells for injection into the body area chosen for improvement.

Fat grafting can last for a few months or for a longer period of time depending on the area chosen for the procedure. Areas of non-movement can last for an extended period of time. Correcting areas such as sunken cheeks and under the eyes with fat grafting is very effective. However, it may not be as successful in areas of frequent movement such as the lips. Patients with aging hands can have fat grafting to correct areas where natural tissue is lost between the bones.

The fat grafting procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. Prior to the procedure being performed, the surgeon will discuss goals and options with the patient as well as realistic expectation and possible risks. Smoking, activity levels and metabolism may be causes for concern. After the fat grafting procedure, patients may feel some soreness or bruising. High impact activities and exercise should be avoided for two to three weeks with patients carefully following post-operative instructions of their surgeon.

The results of fat grafting are immediate and usually true results appear within a couple of months when all swelling subsides. Patients who desire softening of facial lines, additional fullness in areas such as the chin, brow or cheeks or who have significant skin depressions can achieve attractive benefits from fat grafting. By using the fat cells within a patient’s own body to avoid possible allergies, areas can be beautifully resculpted with fat grafting.