Can I call you Butthead?

Fat is coming back in a big way! Made popular in the 80s, replaced my various fillers, fat has returned in a BIG way. New techniques and a naturalist view on treating panfacial volume loss has made fat a very popular excellent option. A syringe of Radiesse is either 1.5 cc or 0.8 cc, Juvederm 0.8 cc, a syringe of fat is as much as our little bellies can shell out!

A loss in volume is a major component in the aging process. This volume loss is most evident in the cheek area, submalar area (below the cheek), prejowl sulcus (in front of the jowls), below the eyes, lips, and in the nasolabial folds. Fat is our body’s natural filler that not only descends and melts away as we age. Naturally, what better filler is there to restore this lost volume than what was there before- your own fat.

The ‘best’ areas for fat harvesting are areas of stubborn fat that have a strong ability to adapt and live in the new area of transfer. These areas are typically the lower abdomen, inner thigh, around the knee and sometimes the buttocks.

The procedure is performed under a light sedation where ample fat is harvested by using small instruments through tiny puncture sites. The fat is treated, prepared, and reintroduced to the areas that are deficient. All harvesting is done at the first visit, and extra fat is stored in our facility for future touch up visits. The success different doctors have in fat transfers is extremely variable. Many times the fat will not survive the transfer, and it will simply melt away. This is because the fat is not treated correctly and the fat cells are aggravated in the harvesting and injecting process.

In my hands, 80% of the fat I inject typically survives. This is excellent. It is because of the highest quality polished instruments we use, excellent surgical technique, and atraumatic delivery. In about 3 months that other 20% will melt away. Many doctors believe in overcorrecting to account for this loss. I prefer to treat you to perfection, and retreat you in 3 months. This is to avoid the awkward phase, where you would otherwise look overdone. Typically patients require 2 touch up appointments after their initial treatment. These touch ups are 3 months apart. It is a sculpting process and this is where the artistic eye is important as a doctor. The touch ups can be done completely awake much like a filler, such as Restylane or Juvederm, etc.

After the 3^rd appointment, the fat should be at the level of perfection and this result should live and breathe as though it was made to be there. As an added benefit, there is a tremendous amount of stem cells in fat-more than even in bone marrow! These stem cells work to give your skin a nice glow that often becomes evident after a fat transfer.

Pre-operatively our regime of herbs will be recommended to you to quicken the healing process and post-operatively an antibiotic will be given to you. Overall, this is a wonderful procedure that has again been reintroduced in recent years and has added a natural volumizing result that lasts longer than most fillers.