If you’ve ever considered getting dermal fillers in your face in order to restore plumpness and volume or give yourself a more youthful appearance, there’s another procedure that may actually work better for you.
What Is Facial Fat Transfer?
The process is essentially the process of taking unwanted fat from one area of the body and reinserting it into the face to restore a fresh, plump, more youthful appearance. The process is safe, quick, effective, and comes with little downtime.
Benefits of Fat Transfer
While dermal fillers are a great option for many patients, more and more patients are turning to this procedures to get that youthful glow they long for. The major benefits of facial fat grafting include:
- Instant changes to the contours of the face
- Natural results
- Little downtime
- Long-lasting results
Who Is a Good Candidate for Surgery?
If you’ve started to see a sagging, shadowy appearance in your face, you may be looking for a solution that can give you more volume and fullness. Dermal fillers can certainly help in this area, but facial fat transfer is another process that is highly effective for improving facial contours and fixing loss of volume.
The best candidates for facial fat transfer are looking to plump up specific areas of the face and give their skin a fresher, smoother appearance. Ideal patients want natural, long-lasting results and may not be interested in Botox and other injectables.
In order to qualify for the facial fat transfer process, you must be in good overall physical and mental health and have realistic expectations when it comes to your outcome. You should not be undergoing any serious medical treatments or have any ongoing infections or critical conditions.
Patients who are non-smokers are the best candidates for any cosmetic procedure as smoking can increase surgical risks.
How Is the Facial Fat Transfer Procedure Process Done?
There are two parts to the process. The first part involves locating a “donor area.” This is an area of the body where there is excess fat (or enough extra fat) so that some can be removed. Sometimes, the fact that is to be removed from the donor area is actually unwanted, so it’s a win-win for the patient.
Other times, only a small amount may be taken so that the reduction in fat from the harvest area is hardly noticeable. Liposuction is the process that will be used to extract the “donor” or “harvested fat.”
Next, this fat needs to be relocated to the face in the strategic areas that you and Dr. Mohan have designated. It’s important to note that this newly grafted fat must also survive in the new location. You may have heard that only approximately 40 to 60 percent of grafted fat will “survive.”
In other words, it needs to redevelop a blood supply in the new location in order to stick around and actually make an improvement there. The fat that does survive should last forever (unlike dermal fillers, which are temporary).
What to Expect During Recovery
Ideally, a good portion of the grafted fat will survive in the new location on your face. Survival of the fat will be assessed by Dr. Mohan after the fat transfer process. In most cases, several fat transfer procedures are necessary in order to achieve the results you’re after.
Directly following your procedure, you may notice any of the following:
- Small hard areas or lumps where new fat was injected
- Slight redness
- Slight numbness (only temporary)
- Slight bruising and swelling
- An “overfilled” look in some of the areas where new fat was injected
Dr. Mohan will give you detailed care instructions, which you should follow closely during your recovery. Using light massage and some topical icing can help to calm swelling, bruising, and any pain or discomfort.
Preparing for Your Consultation Appointment
Before any cosmetic procedure, it is critical to book a consultation appointment. This appointment is necessary for ensuring you are a good candidate for the procedure. But it’s also important as a stepping stone for getting ideal results from your surgery.
At your consultation appointment, you will meet one-on-one with Dr. Mohan who will give you a brief physical exam and speak with you about your goals for surgery.
He’ll also ask you to outline your medical history, so it’s a good idea to bring a list of your current medications and supplements with you, and don’t forget to mention any medical issues you are contending with.
These do not necessarily prohibit you from undergoing a procedure, but Dr. Mohan must know about them in order to optimize your safety throughout the process.
Be sure to outline for Dr. Mohan what areas of the face you would like to treat most. Many patients who opt for this procedures wants to improve hollowed out cheeks, bags beneath the eyes, or pitted (recessed) scars that may have been caused by past acne or other skin issues.
Together, the two of you will come up with a procedural plan that will address all of your concerns.
Dallas Area Fat Transfer Consultation
An increasing number of men and women are considering the process for improving the contours and fullness of their face. It is a highly effective procedure with natural, long-lasting results and little downtime. If you would like to learn more about this procedure, contact our office today and book your Dallas plastic surgery consultation appointment with Dr. Mohan.