Facial Lipografting
Through natural aging many people will notice a gradual loss of fat and soft tissue along the temples, cheeks, tear troughs, lips, chin, and jawline. This loss of facial volume or fullness leads to sagging of the skin as well as the development of various hollow appearing facial areas. With significant fat loss the face can begin to look overly slim, angular, or tired and the face can become slimmer, more angular, and tired in appearance.
Facial lipografting is a procedure that uses the patient’s own fat (adipose) tissue to increase the volume of targeted facial areas that have experienced volume loss. Facial lipografting can restore volume and provide a more plump and youthful facial appearance adding targeted volume under the surface of the skin as well as the deeper fat compartments.
How is facial lipografting performed?
Facial lipografting begins with the careful harvesting of fat cells from a donor area of the body (typically “problem areas” like the abdomen, hips, or thighs) via gentle liposuction. The harvested fat is then processed to isolate and concentrate pure fat from impurities. Finally, the purified fat is injected into the recipient areas with a very small (0.5mm to 0.7mm, which is approximately the width of mechanical pencil lead) cannula. The surgeon carefully sculptures the injected particles to replace or enhance the existing structural framework of the face (referred to as “structural lipografting”).
Due to the very small size of the cannulas used in the procedure, no sutures are needed on the face. The procedure is typically performed using a combination of twilight anesthesia (conscious sedation) and local anesthesia at the harvest and recipient areas.
Is facial lipografting permanent?
Facial lipografting can provide permanent results as transferred fat cells are able to adapt to their new environment and take in nourishment through the blood supply of surrounding tissue. While fat cells are extremely delicate, we use advanced technology and methodology to increase the survival rate of injected fat cells. Harvested fat is purified and re-injected before it becomes damaged or oxygen deprived. The fat cells are essentially transplanted from one part of your body to another.
How does facial lipografting vary from other fat transfer procedures?
Compared to a fat transfer to face procedure, facial lipografting is generally reserved for smaller size particle injection. Because of the smaller size particles, the procedure is sometimes referred to as “nano” and “micro” fat grafting. The smaller particle size used in the procedure allows the surgeon to more accurately sculpt results.