I’m often asked, “Can’t we just take the fat from my belly and put it where I want it?” The answer is, “YES!” Fat transfer procedures are taking America by storm. Despite its bad reputation, fat is actually a very good thing! Fat is the best product for replacing lost volume that comes as a result of aging or weight loss. Fat also has added benefits: it’s your fat, so you can’t have a negative reaction to it. It’s very long lasting—much longer than dermal fillers in the case of facial volume replacement or augmentation. Fat acts as a stem cell. This means that it actually improves the quality of the tissue into which it is placed, and it can actually become the tissues into which it is placed. It is very common that the skin overlying a fat transfer procedure area will actually improve in quality—becoming clearer with less hyperpigmentation and more collagen!
How fat transfer is used?
Volume! Fat transfer is commonly used to replace lost volume that comes as a result of aging. This happens as an unfortunate, natural result of facial aging, for example. We all lose volume in our face starting in our 20’s! It typically begins in the midface area. As we lose volume from our cheeks, and as our natural cheek fat begins to fall with aging, our entire face begins to show the signs. As the fat drops, it leaves behind a relative volume deficit that we interpret as “tear troughs”. Also, as the fat falls, it tends to fall down and toward the midline. This accentuates the skin folds above our mouth: the nasolabial folds. As gravity continues to take effect, the jowls develop and then the dreaded neck skin laxity. It all began with the cheeks!
If we replace the volume in the cheeks, all of these areas improve, even before we treat them directly! Dermal fillers such as Voluma offer a very quick fix to this problem. This uses a hyaluronic acid product that is very well tolerated and very effective to treat this problem. The effects last approximately a year and a half but can be fairly expensive to reach and maintain. Utilizing your own body fat can achieve the same results and last much longer and cost less in the long run!
To gain a fuller, rounder, more plump derriere, your own body fat can be transferred from pudgy areas around the belly, back, and thighs to your buttocks in a procedure commonly known as a Brazilian Butt Lift. When the fat is placed appropriately in the upper portions of the buttocks, you achieve a lifting effect all the way to the lower buttocks much like a cheek augmentation will improve the lower face and jowls. Properly done, you will achieve a defined transition between the lower back and upper buttocks and look so much better in those jeans and even out of them!
Fat transfer can also be utilized to augment the breasts! This can be done as a true fat augmentation procedure or be combined with breast implants to achieve fuller, more beautiful breasts that can take on the appearance of having naturally beautiful breasts or even greatly augmented larger breasts. Make sure you discuss with your surgeon the risks and benefits of potential stem cell therapy in the breast region and how it can potentially affect breast health as you age.
Rejuvenating effects of fat transfer
It is well known that fat acts as a stem cell. This means that it truly rejuvenates the tissues into which it is placed. For example, if you place it under an indented scar, it not only elevates the scar to improve the contours, but the overlying scar will improve in its appearance and texture over the next few years! The skin overlying a fat transfer to the face or buttocks will also become progressively healthier in appearance as you age. Fat can be transferred as a microfat or nanofat transfer to achieve your goals. With microfat transfer, fat is harvested from unwanted areas, processed appropriately, and transferred in small droplet into the areas that need more volume. This is how we achieve volume replenishment or volume augmentation.
With nanofat transfer, we use a similar approach to collect the fat, but we then process the fat through a series of filters that break up the fat cells and remove the fibrous tissue that will then allow transfer of very smooth stem cell products into areas that need fabulous rejuvenation. This fat can be placed directly into the skin to improve texture, collagen production, elastin production to improve skin elasticity, and even skin hyperpigmentation conditions such as melasma. It can also be injected into the skin of scalp to activate dormant hair follicles and regrow your own hair! Stem cell therapy for hair restoration is the forefront of hair transplant and regrowth technology. Combine microfat and nanofat transfer to achieve volume and rejuvenation to improve facial aging, the appearance of scars, the appearance of reconstructed breasts, and reverse the effects of radiation therapy. The good news is, Dr. Troy Austin performs these advanced procedures right here in the Augusta, GA area!
Nanofat transfer and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) are the wave of the future for stem cell therapy. As we master the techniques for achieving the best results, you need to be involved where this technology is advancing. Call us today to see how we can use your own body’s natural healing power to make you look and feel younger as you age!