Transforming Fat into the Fountain of Youth – An Alternative to the Traditional Facelift
With plastic surgery continuing to grow in popularity, more men and women are seeking out solutions for maintaining or restoring their youthful appearance. While facelifts remain one of the top surgical procedures performed by plastic surgeons, thanks to advances in technology, fat transfer is becoming increasingly requested by patients wanting a natural-looking alternative to the traditional lift.
This procedure utilizes a patient’s fat cells from another portion of their body to rejuvenate the overall look of the face. The fat transfer enables the face to look fuller, tauter, and considerably more youthful.
Although this procedure has been around for several years, the results were not always long lasting. Dr. Shapiro uses a more refined fat transfer technique that utilizes the bottom layer of fat that is processed in a centrifuge. By only working with concentrated fat that has the most stem cells and growth factors, the results have been significantly improved. And with more precise instrumentation, fat can be distributed in extremely small particles to create a completely subtle, yet impactful look.
As quoted in a recent Arizona Republic article about this new technique, Dr Shapiro said, “A lot of doctors say that they are doing this, but they aren’t doing this precisely. They are taking the fat that is still particles, globules, and they are re-injecting it. The problem is that the fat has to be delicate to get new blood supply and that’s what makes it long-lasting.”
Patients interested in fat transfer must first undergo an evaluation to determine if they have enough fat available for the procedure. Typically, fat is liposuctioned from the thighs or abdomen. The procedure itself typically takes from 2 ½ to four hours. In some cases, a surgical facelift is performed in conjunction with fat transfer. This can extend the amount of time in surgery by several hours.
Because the fat cells used in the transfer are fragile, post-op care is very important. An initial amount of swelling is normal, but with long-lasting results, patients are typically delighted by the outcome.
To learn more about fat transfer or to find out if you’re a good candidate for the procedure, schedule a consultation with Dr. Shapiro today.
