Fat Injections

It has been stressed recently that fat is bad. However in Plastic Surgery, fat (a lipid) can be a vital resource in stemming the aged appearance of an individual. As we age, we lose fat in certain areas and we can gain it in others. The loss of fat in the face and in the hands can accentuate the aging changes in these areas. We hear many patients say that as they age, or as they lose weight, their faces look thinner and older.

During the aging process, the volume of the face is decreased due to loss of fat in some areas and by loss of bone in the region around the mouth.  This small "platform" allows the tissues to sag much like how your clothes would look to big on you if you suddenly lost 30 lbs. This is what helps contribute to the signs of an aged, tired face.

Fillers such as Juvederm, Evolence, Collagen, are used to help replace some of the lost volume. They have become very popular and are ideal for small losses of volume and to decrease the appearance of wrinkles.

But what if we need to restore larger losses of volume? This is where the patients own fat becomes a wonderful resource for a natural enhancement. Fat can be removed from some storage areas (belly, thighs, or hips) and then transferred to the areas of need. The fat is removed with microliposuction techniques. A very tiny, 2mm in diameter cannula is used to remove some fat from one area and then it is injected into the areas of concern.

Dr. Schneider likes to equate the removal of the fat as harvesting liquid gold because of the positive effects the fat transfer will have on the patients appearance. "Part of the aging process is that patients lose fat volume throughout their faces: their temples, around their eyes, and in the mid and lower portion of their faces. Some of this fat loss will accentuate their jowls, parentheses around their mouths, and marionette lines. Their lips may even get smaller. The fat harvested from another region can be meticulously transferred to these areas to create a natural, more youthful appearance" says Dr. Schneider.

We have also used the fat to enhance the hands in patients who are bothered by the prominence of veins that they find unattractive.

Though it is difficult to say that anything in Plastic Surgery is permanent, fat injections can be long lasting. Dr. Schneider has been using fat injections for over 10 years.