When you were in your twenties, you probably had smooth, wrinkle-free skin and plump, full cheeks. Unfortunately, your skin will become less elastic, and you will lose fat in your face as you get older. These changes can cause you to develop wrinkles and hollow cheeks. If you want to stave off these signs of aging, you should consider receiving a fat transfer from eSSe Plastic Surgery in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Is Fat Transfer Permanent?
A fat transfer is a cosmetic procedure that uses your own fat cells to fill in your wrinkles and plump your face. This aesthetic procedure is very popular because it can create long-lasting improvements in your appearance.
Transferring Your Fat
During your procedure, we will harvest unwanted fat from your body and inject it into your face, hands, or other desired location. During the next several months, your body will absorb some of the transferred fat. This is a normal part of the procedure, and we will usually inject extra fat cells into your body in order to ensure that a sufficient amount of fat will survive the transfer process.
Lasting Changes
The fat that survives this process will create lasting changes in your body. Unlike dermal fillers, this fat will not be absorbed during the next couple of months. Instead, this fat will permanently remain in your treatment area.
That said, you need to understand that this fat will not prevent your face and other features from changing as you continue to age. As you get older, your face and other areas of your body will develop new wrinkles and continue to lose volume.
What Areas of My Body Can My Transferred Fat Cells Improve?
We can use your unwanted fat to fill in your facial wrinkles and enhance other areas on your body.
Your Face
We frequently use fat cells to erase wrinkles on your face. These fat cells can be used to fill in lines on your forehead, parentheses lines around your mouth, and other facial wrinkles. In addition, adding fat to your face is an excellent way to fill in sunken cheeks.
Your Hands
When you get older, you will lose some of the volumes in your hands. Since your hands are a very visible part of your body, this change can make you feel older and less attractive. This transfer technique can restore your confidence by adding volume to the tissues on your hands.
Your Cellulite
Cellulite develops when fat cells push against tissues in your skin. If cellulite on your hips or thighs is keeping you from feeling happy when you are wearing shorts or a swimming suit, don’t worry. Adding fat to these areas of your body will reduce your dimples and smooth the texture of your skin.
Your Buttocks
You don’t have to use silicone implants to achieve firm, shapely buttocks. Adding fat cells to this area of your body will give you a curvy, attractive figure.
Your Breasts
In addition to plumping your buttocks, we can use fat cells to increase the size of your breasts. Since we will enhance your chest with your own cells, your results will look very natural and attractive. In addition, the transfer process will not create any scars on your breasts.
How Should I Prepare for This Cosmetic Procedure?
Smoking cigarettes may decrease the number of fat cells that survive the transfer process. In addition, smoking will impair your body’s ability to quickly recover from the fat harvesting process. To avoid dealing with these issues, we may advise you to quit smoking a couple of weeks before you receive this procedure.
In addition to quitting smoking, you might need to temporarily stop taking aspirin, St. John’s Wort, and other medications and supplements that cause your blood to thin. Taking a break from these supplements and medications will help your body heal after your procedure is complete.
What Should I Expect During the Transfer Process?
Removing and injecting your fat is a minimally invasive process, and we will perform your procedure in one of our comfortable medical suites in Fort Lauderdale.
Suctioning Away Your Fat
The first step is to remove fat cells from your body. We can remove these cells from your stomach, thighs, hips, and other locations on your body. We will use a technique called liposuction to accomplish this goal.
During liposuction, we will make a tiny incision into your desired location. Next, we will suction away some of the fat cells from this area of your body. To keep you comfortable while we harvest your fat cells, you’ll receive local or general anesthesia. In addition to providing us with fat to inject into your target area, removing these unwanted cells will contour and sculpt your physique.
Injecting Your Fat Cells
Once we have taken out some of your fat, we will use specialized techniques to process these cells. Processing your fat cells will allow a greater number of these cells to survive the transfer process. Once your cells are ready, we will carefully inject them into your face, hands, or other desired area.
We will place these fat cells into many different locations in your skin and muscular tissues. Spreading out your fat cells will help them connect to your blood supply and enhance the chances that these cells will remain in their new location.
How Long Will It Take Me to Recover from My Appointment?
You should avoid rigorous activities after you return home from your appointment. While your body is recovering, we will probably ask you to wear a compression garment over the areas where we harvested your fat cells. Wearing this garment as instructed will help this area of your body heal in a quick, efficient fashion.
If we injected your fat cells into your face, we will advise you to avoid putting pressure on this area of your body. To help your face recover, you should also avoid sleeping on your side at night and use pillows to keep your face elevated.
When Will I See the Final Effects of My Transfer?
Since your body will reabsorb some of your transferred fat cells, you will need to be patient while you are waiting to see the final effects of your procedure. Immediately after your appointment, your treated area may look very full and voluminous. As some of your transferred fat cells die during the next two or four months, this extra volume will decrease.
During the next several months, your remaining fat cells will adjust to their new location. In general, you will see the ultimate effect of your transferred fat cells after about nine months.
How Many Procedures Will I Receive?
It’s common to achieve your desired look after you receive one procedure. However, the number of fat cells that survive the transfer process will vary, and you might need to receive follow-up procedures to obtain your desired result. If you would like us to inject fat cells into several different locations on your body, you might also need to get multiple procedures.
Will My Transferred Fat Look Natural?
A fat transfer is one of the best ways to create natural-looking improvements in your face and body. Instead of injecting foreign substances into your body, we will use your own fat cells to enhance your features and fill in your wrinkles. As a result, the changes in your appearance will look very soft and natural. Instead of looking like you’ve received an aesthetic procedure, you will appear to be rested and youthful.
Will My Results Change if I Gain or Lose Weight?
Like the other cells in your body, your transferred fat cells will become larger if you gain weight in the future. If your weight decreases, these cells will shrink. Accordingly, large fluctuations in your weight will cause changes in your appearance. To preserve the benefits of your aesthetic procedure, you should maintain a healthy, stable weight. You can achieve this goal by eating healthy foods and exercising regularly.
Am I Eligible to Receive This Cosmetic Procedure?
To receive this cosmetic procedure, you will need to have enough fat on your thighs, hips, stomach, or other areas to use during the transfer process. If you are a very slim person who doesn’t have any unwanted pockets of fat, this technique will not be a good choice for you.
In addition to having sufficient amounts of fat on your body, you will need to be in fairly good health to receive this technique. If you have heart disease, cancer, or another serious medical condition, you might not be eligible for this anti-aging procedure.
Can I Use Other Methods to Minimize My Wrinkles and Lines?
In addition to transferring your fat into your face, we can use other cosmetic techniques to address your fine lines and wrinkles.
Dermal Fillers
The Juvederm collection of dermal fillers can be used to fill in your facial wrinkles and correct hollow cheeks. These dermal fillers create temporary changes in your appearance. Although each of these fillers lasts for a different length of time, your improvements will usually wear off within six to twelve months.
Receiving an injectable treatment can be a great way to determine whether you would benefit from a fat transfer. These injectables will give you an idea of how your face will look once your wrinkles are filled in and your cheeks are more voluminous. If you like these changes, you can use your fat cells to create more lasting improvements in these facial features.
Botox
Botox is an injectable treatment that will reduce your facial wrinkles for up to four months. We frequently use this treatment to correct wrinkles and other aesthetic issues that appear in the upper area of the face. For example, this injectable can fix forehead lines, crow’s feet, and drooping eyelids. Once your wrinkles and fine lines start to return, you can come to our office for touch-up injections.
Facelifts
If you would like to achieve more comprehensive changes in your face, you might benefit from receiving a facelift. This aesthetic procedure can be used to erase deep lines that run from your mouth to your nose. In addition to fixing lines on your face, we can eliminate loose skin on your jawline and reduce your double chin. If you stay out of the sun and take good care of your skin, the results of your facelift are likely to last for many years.
Improve Your Appearance
Getting a fat transfer is an ideal way to contour your body and fill in your wrinkles at the same time. This cosmetic technique has a short recovery time, and your transferred fat cells will create lasting improvements in your lines and wrinkles. To learn whether this innovative procedure is right for you, contact us at eSSe Plastic Surgery in Fort Lauderdale, FL to set up an initial consultation.