Implants may not be best for every patient when it comes to augmentation or rejuvenation, and that’s okay. Fat grafting, sometimes called fat transfer, is an alternative method if you’re looking for natural results with natural techniques. This procedure can achieve the best version of yourself using your own natural tissues and nothing more.
Fat grafting is a highly customizable procedure that can be minimally-invasive and effective at producing natural results without the need for implants. It requires a liposuction procedure to collect fat tissue from fatty areas of the body, which is then injected into areas of low volume. These can commonly include the face, breasts, and hands for effective rejuvenation.
Although dermal fillers can be an effective, non-surgical means of facial rejuvenation, they don’t produce long-term results that you might be looking for. Fat transfer can be an effective way of restoring areas of low volume that occur because of factors like aging and gravity. The most common areas treated are the nasolabial folds, tear troughs, and lips.
This technique is sometimes called natural breast enhancement because it forgoes the use of implants. The breasts can naturally contain fatty tissue as well as breast tissue, meaning additional fat injection can increase the size and projection of the breasts for more natural-looking and -feeling results than traditional techniques.
Although plastic surgery can correct many signs of aging, the hands are one area that is often neglected. The hands can become wrinkled, thin, and ‘ropey’ over time as they lose fat. Certain dermal fillers can correct this, but fat transfer techniques can produce long-lasting results by filling in the backs of the hands and reducing the appearance of aging.
Patients that benefit most from fat transfer techniques are those that are looking for body contouring results as well as augmentation of certain problem areas. For many reasons, implants may not be the best option for you and your goals, so fat transfer can provide a natural alternative. Many women that pursue breast augmentation have concerns about implants, and fat transfer can provide effective augmentation without the downtime or risk of rupture.
In order to benefit most from fat grafting, you should be at or near your ideal body weight with stubborn pockets of fat that can be removed for transfer. You should also be in good health and able to successfully recover from a minimally-invasive procedure. During your consultation, we’ll discuss any medical conditions or factors that might affect your results and candidacy.
Fat transfer occurs in two steps— first, liposuction is performed on a fatty area of the body to collect tissue. Then, the fat is processed and made ready for injection. The collected fat is then injected into the areas of low fat through a series of small, precise injections to craft a new contour. This technique can be performed with very small incisions, meaning reduced downtime and scarring. During your consultation, you’ll receive a detailed surgical plan for your procedure so that you know what to expect. We can perform fat transfer techniques inside our small and private accredited surgical facility.
Your customized procedure will vary when it comes to your recovery, but you can generally expect to take a few days off from work or school. Because liposuction is performed, you will need to wear compression garments at your donor sites in order to aid recovery and help your skin adhere to the new contour. Because this procedure is minimally-invasive, you can expect less downtime than a surgical procedure, but you will most likely still experience some discomfort. This can be easily managed with medications prescribed by our office. Many patients also experience bruising at the incision and injection sites, and this is normal. During your consultation, you’ll receive instructions and care steps to follow during your recovery as well as a schedule of follow-up appointments as needed.
You’ve got options when it comes to shaping and reshaping your body, and plastic surgeons at Corewell Health can create an effective treatment plan for you and your goals during a consultation. To discuss the procedure that works best for you at our St. Joseph practice, schedule a consultation by calling or filling out our online form.
