Fat grafting 101

These days, from New York to L.A., society is all about “that bass.” Thanks to celebs like Kim K. and Beyonce, it’s never been more on trend to embrace your curves. Hop on Instagram, Snapchat, or any other social media site packed with selfies and you’ll quickly notice the obsession with round bottoms and full lips. But not everyone comes by these assets naturally — and this is especially true as we get older. As the years pass, sun damage and other less-than-ideal (but difficult-to-avoid) conditions can cause volume loss on the face and body. This can result in sunken cheekbones, facial lines, and other imperfections that give away age and might lead to low self-esteem.

The good news is that there’s an increasingly popular cosmetic procedure available to help those wanting to amplify their appearances, and it’s making headlines in celebrity magazines and local news outlets. What is it? Fat grafting. And you can get it in our office!

Science has proven that fat is naturally accepted by the body when inserted under the skin — even when that fat is from a different part of your body. Fat grafting embraces this fact and allows clients to relocate unwanted excess to other body parts that are victim to unwanted thinning. With grafting, fat is harvested from a “donor” area on your own body (like your abdomen, thighs, or other problem areas) through liposuction, purified, and injected into the area of concern through a cannula. This insertion is perfect for plumping up facial areas like the cheeks and upper lip. And for many of my patients, it’s a fast way to get back their youthful glow.

So, in a world with so many cosmetic surgery options, why are people flocking to grafting over other methods? It could be because there are several benefits to fat grafting that traditional fillers simply don’t have. For starters, autologous fat grafts typically last longer than synthetic materials do. Additionally, some bodies don’t always respond well to synthetic fillers, and these fat grafts allow patients to avoid the allergic reactions that inorganic fillers can cause. A third plus is that the procedure is quick, simple, and done under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis. That means you’ll have minimal pain during the grafting — and a quick recovery after.

Since each body is different, there are a variety of uses for fat grafting procedures, especially when it comes to facial applications. When planning for a fat grafting procedure, we’ll sit down and discuss the facial areas that you want to fill and enhance — as well as the areas from which you want to remove fat.

Aging is a natural part of life, but sometimes its effects can leave us feeling down about appearances. Fat grafting is a way to rejuvenate and restore your natural look by repurposing what you already have. Call or stop in today to discuss your options for treatment.