Is Facial Fat Grafting Permanent?
Cosmetic surgery has come an incredibly long way, allowing for total facial rejuvenation and reversal of the most stubborn and apparent signs of aging. If you’re dissatisfied with your facial skin whether due to laxity, wrinkles, creases, or other conditions, fat grafting is an effective surgical procedure worth considering.
Loss of facial volume is one of the clearest signs of aging. Hollow cheeks can leave you looking tired, grumpy, or aged beyond your years. Most people are concerned about wrinkles and fine lines, but facial volume is often even more crucial to maintaining a youthful appearance. And that’s where facial fat grafting comes in.
What is facial fat grafting and how does it work?
Facial fat grafting is a procedure that restores facial volume by transferring healthy fat cells from other parts of your body into your cheeks. During the procedure, fat cells are extracted from areas such as the stomach, hips or thighs, or other areas with excess fat tissues. The fat cells are then processed and purified to increase their chance of survival in the new site.
After preparation, the fat tissues are strategically injected into your cheeks, where they gradually settle into the new site. This treatment’s results are immediately evident, and your facial appearance continues improving for several weeks as the fat tissues settle into their new home. It’s also a safe procedure, as the fat tissues are harvested from your own body, leaving a negligible risk of your body rejecting the graft.
But is it permanent?
One of the biggest concerns patients have about facial fat grafting is its permanence. Most facial volumizing treatments are temporary, leading to results that last for a few months.
Not all of the transferred fat cells will survive at their new home. Over time, some of the grafted fat cells will die and get metabolized by the body, so you will eventually lose some of the volume evident immediately after the procedure. That’s why Garrett A. Wirth, MD, FACS, usually “over-fills” the area to offset any later volume loss that can occur due to fat absorption. After six months, the remaining fat cells will be permanently settled in their new site, but even the permanently settled fat cells can’t stop aging, and the rest of your facial features will continue their routine aging.
Can dermal fillers replace facial fat grafting?
While facial fat grafting is effective and largely results in patients who are very satisfied, dermal fillers are indeed a suitable alternative to facial fat grafting. These are injectable fillers that enhance your facial volume by supplementing it with natural ingredients. And there are multiple dermal fillers available, allowing you the ideal treatment for a host of cosmetic conditions.
Some of them facilitate collagen production, encouraging your body to generate collagen and add facial volume naturally, over time, while others infuse your facial tissue with hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring gel that makes your skin look full, smooth, and supple.
Dermal fillers are also great at hydrating your skin, filling out wrinkles and fine lines, and providing well-rounded facial rejuvenation. For reference and as a comparative to facial fat grafting, dermal fillers are temporary, and their results typically fade away within 6 to 24 months, depending on the product. Dermal fillers and facial fat grafting are both effective at nicely restoring facial youthfulness. Both have their perks and benefits and in a personal consultation, Dr. Wirth can advise as to the best solution for your personal cosmetic concerns to help you reach your body ideals. Schedule a consultation today.
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