A facial fat transfer in Washington DC, from acclaimed double-board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Somenek is an effective and long-lasting way to reverse facial volume loss. Besides wrinkling and gravity, volume loss in the face is one of the main components of the aging process.
Fat transfer, through a gentle hand-harvesting method, purification process, and microdroplet injection technique, has been shown to improve durability compared with older techniques that could compromise transplanted fat longevity.
What Areas Can a Facial Fat Transfer be Used For?
Fat transferred from other areas of your body to your face will not only give some lifting to the general facial structure, but also improve the look of your skin. Patients seeking a fat transfer for facial rejuvenation often present with these symptoms:
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Crow’s feet
- Undereye bags or dark circles
- Worry and/or frown lines
- Sunken cheeks
- A tired look
As we age, the dermis under our skin thins out, which can leave the face looking thin and has the effect of making the skin look like it sags. This happens to men and women of all body types. A Washington DC facial fat transfer adds fat to the area beneath the skin and has the effect of “filling out the face” to a more youthful state.
Fat Transfer Contains Growth Factors
In addition to filling out wrinkles in the face, highly purified fat injections also enhance the blood circulation in the tissues. This is because there is a population of adipose stem cells in the fat cells that are re-injected. This means that these stem cells are rich in growth factors which help to make the overlying skin look healthier and more youthful.
Many women actually like the shape of their face better in their early 30s because they have lost a lot of their baby fat and start to have more of a triangular heart shaped face. As one continues to age, the loss of fat in the eyes, cheeks and jawline, including some weight gain in the lower face, neck, and jowls, starts to invert the triangle so that the base of the triangle is now at the bottom of the face.
Conceptually, the goal of a Washington DC facial fat transfer is to invert the triangle so that the heart shaped face of youth returns. Volume restoration for the face also adds more light to the face, which in turn can make the skin look more radiant. Adding fat back to the face can even begin to help the skin texture and tone through what is thought to be a stem-cell response that the skin undergoes over areas of transplanted fat.
What is Involved with a Facial Fat Transfer?
Volume loss is particularly more pronounced around the eyes, cheeks, and jawline, where fat transfer can play the greatest role in creating a balanced and comprehensive facial rejuvenation. Oftentimes, this is combined with surgical options including blepharoplasty (cosmetic eyelid surgery) and/or a facelift.
Fat transfer involves removing fat from one’s own abdomen or thighs to put into certain regions of the face that start to lose fat. Only tiny amounts of fat are removed so this should not be equated with liposuction.
Using blunt tip cannulas, the fat is injected as little droplets throughout the areas of facial hollowness with little to no trauma because a needle is not used. By using this microdroplet technique, transferred fat has a much higher blood supply so that survival is improved and the results are smoother given how small each individual fat parcel is.
What is Recovery and Healing Like?
During the recovery process after a facial fat transfer in Washington DC, it will be important to follow Dr. Somenek’s post-surgical care directions closely. This will help to avoid protracted downtime and complications. It’s recommended that patients take around two weeks off from work.
A degree of swelling and bruising will be present in the donor and transplant regions. These issues will fade and can be treated using cold compresses or ice packs as directed. Additionally, it may be necessary to wear a post-surgical garment in order to control swelling.
Achieving the best and longest-lasting results possible means keeping transplanted fat cells healthy during recovery. Avoid putting pressure on the areas where fat cells have been injected, and avoid any activities that could cause trauma to these areas.
How Much Does a Facial Fat Transfer Cost?
The details of every fat grafting treatment vary, and because of this, there is no one-size-fits-all facial fat transfer cost. The price of the procedure depends on the time required to perform the procedure, the type of anesthesia used, and a multitude of other factors.
Discover Your Options for a Washington DC Facial Fat Transfer
If you have further questions regarding the facial fat transfer in Washington DC, please call Dr. Michael Somenek today.
