Much of what is discussed relating to beauty today involves removing and minimizing fat, but this extremely important component of the human body has some wonderful and unique properties. Fat under the skin acts to add volume and plumpness, and both these qualities are associated with a youthful appearance. Babies and children have more fat relative to adults, and as we age we continue to lose volume from our faces. An aged look involves not just skin that is thin and wrinkled, but also an underlying scaffold that has flattened.
Fat injections or autologous fat grafts are a terrific way to counter some of the loss of volume that occurs with aging. When performed artistically and correctly, it restores a person’s youthful appearance without causing an unnatural or over-filled look. In essence, the procedure involves harvesting a person’s own fat, purifying it, and injecting it into areas to re-establish the contours associated with a younger, fuller look. The fat is usually obtained with a technique similar to liposuction with minute, imperceptible scars, and often more extensive liposuction can be combined with fat harvesting and grafting in a single operative session. One of the advantages of fat is that it comes from the patient him/herself. Fat also contains the highest concentration of adult stem cells, which themselves are being researched for their involvement in facial rejuvenation. Finally, fat injections tend to have longer lasting results, and some of the cells may survive permanently.
If you are wondering about what procedures are best suited to your face, or are interested in any number of possible techniques to reverse the signs of aging, Dr. Olivia Hutchinson will be happy to discuss autologous fat grafting and all the alternatives currently available. As a board certified plastic surgeon with specialized training in aesthetic plastic surgery, Dr. Hutchinson practices the full spectrum of surgical and non-surgical facial rejuvenation. Please call our office at 212 452-1400 or contact us to schedule a consultation in our NYC or Englewood, NJ office.
