What is fat grafting?
Known as cosmetic fat transfer, fat grafting essentially consists of taking unwanted fat from one part of the body and putting it to use in your face to give it a fuller, more youthful appearance. While it sounds simple and straightforward, there is an art to the process.
How does it work?
This outpatient procedure takes 1-2 hours to complete and can be performed under local anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. Your surgeon will identify areas of your body where the fat grafts will be harvested. These areas are numbed, and small punctures are made. The surgeon will harvest the grafts with low suction to increase the number of living cells. The surgeon then uses an advanced filtering system to isolate, purify and concentrate the cells that will be transferred and discard any undesirable components such as liquid and oil.
The fat grafts will then be transferred into small syringes to inject small packets of cells in layers from deep to superficial areas, restoring volume and shape along the way. Sutures are used to close the incisions where the fat was harvested. Patients typically don’t need sutures in the insertion points on their face but are provided cool packs to help control discomfort, swelling and bruising as they sit somewhat upright after the procedure.
Who are candidates?
Both men and women who have lost facial volume are good candidates for this procedure. Patients often have deflation of the cheek bones, narrowing of the temples or shadows and depressions under their eyes. Patients may have wrinkles or furrows on their face and neck, deep creases between the bottom of their nose to the corner of their mouth and a diminished jawline. If you are in good general health and have a positive outlook and realistic expectations for the procedure, you will be a good candidate.
If you are ready to achieve a more youthful appearance and are interested in fat grafting, call (202) 750-5189 today to schedule a consultation.
