Fat Grafting in Facial Rejuvenation – Hurriyet Newspaper

The procedure of removing fat from one area of the body and transferring it to another area is called fat injection/fat transfer. This procedure, also known as fat filler among the public, is most commonly applied to the face area.

This procedure is often used to correct hollow under-eyes, sagging cheeks, deflated lips, deepened nasolabial folds, and the folds at the corners of the mouth. As the value of fat is increasingly understood for aging more beautifully and looking healthier, interest in this procedure is also increasing day by day. Ear, Nose, Head and Neck Diseases Specialist Associate Professor Dr. Tevfik Sozen shared the following information regarding fat injection application.

It Triggers the Anti-Aging Mechanism

“Just like a painter adjusts transitions in a painting, it is the soft tissues on our face that provide these lights and shadows. The most important structures forming these soft tissues are the fat tissues on our face. The fact that fats in our body contain the best source in terms of stem cells, and the growth hormones contained in these stem cells, automatically trigger many anti-aging mechanisms such as primarily stimulating collagen synthesis. It contributes to holistic facial renewal and a youthful appearance.
It is applied by centrifuging the fat taken from the body and injecting it under anesthesia into the desired area for support, and it may take one to two hours depending on the amount and the area. Although the recovery of this procedure is not painful, it may cause swelling in the treated area and bruising and tenderness in the area from which the fat tissue is taken. One week after having this procedure, one can comfortably return to normal life.

Results Become Visible Gradually

The results of fat injection to the face become visible gradually; in the first three months after it is performed, a decrease of up to about 40% can be seen in the injected fat cells. Doing “overcorrection” with the expectation of fat loss can cause an excessively swollen appearance on the face. In the first three months, fat cells reach their lowest volume, but after the fourth month, they begin to regain volume. For this reason, overcorrection affects the patient’s final result and may cause dissatisfaction with the treatment. It is important to remember that minimal results may be obtained in some patients because the transferred fat cells cannot survive. In general, less fat survives with aging. In addition, it is thought that smokers have worse results. After nine months, results are permanent because the remaining fat cannot be absorbed.

Also Beneficial for Scar and Acne Scars

The biggest disadvantage of fat grafting is that it is impossible to predict how much of the fat will be reabsorbed and how much will remain permanently in the injected area. For the fat that survives the transfer process, the results are long-lasting. Instead of absorbing all of it within a few months as with other fillers, the treated area loses volume only because your normal aging process affects your entire face. Of course, the technique used while harvesting fat tissue and treating the fat tissue gently greatly affect its chances of survival. How the fat will be prepared after harvesting and how it will be applied are separate technical details. Fat tissues are also beneficial in depressed scars and acne scars.