Facial Rejuvenation with Fat Transfer
How Sonata uses your own unwanted fat as an amazing, and natural, filler
Fat Grafting, also known as Fat Transfer, is one of our most advanced and beloved procedures. Taking your own fat from an area on the body where you don’t want it, purifying it, and re-injecting it in to a place where you have lost volume, or have a deformity, can be life-changing.
We all lose volume, bone, muscle, and fat in our faces as we age, and our own fat makes our best, most bio-analogous and most rejuvenating filler. Your own fat can also last many years, unlike fillers which often have much shorter term results.
Dr. Janowski was trained by Dr. Stephen Cohen of San Diego, the world leader in Fat Grafting. He continues to hone his skills by attending conferences to study with master physician teachers, like Dr. Patrick Tonnard
What is Fat Transfer, and how does the procedure work?
Many patients are choosing fat transfer over some popular fillers (Juvederm, Restylane, and Sculptra) and even as an alternative to a full facelift. Why? For starters, it’s much easier, safer, and cheaper than a full facelift! And because we’re using your own fat, it can have a much longer and more natural-looking effect than other fillers. It’s used to restore volume and contours to your cheeks, chin, and can also add volume to the lips.
This procedure involves 3 steps:
- Gentle liposuction of some excess fat. This typically comes from the jowls, abdomen, thighs, or buttocks. Extracting your fat is generally a very easy, painless process, done in our office.
- Isolation and purification of the fat cells. Once extracted through in-office, localized, tumescent liposuction, your fat is purified using the ground-breaking Pure Graft system which removes impurities and condenses the fat, making it better for injecting and more likely to “last” when placed. Fat itself has different particle sizes, and filtering the fat allows Dr. Janowski to use this fat in different ways. Nano-fat, or the smallest particle sized fat, can be used alone to rejuvenate the skin without adding substantial volume.
- Injection of your own purified fat cells into targeted facial areas. This is much the same as any other filler. There can sometimes be a bit more bruising and swelling than other fillers. This is due to the fact that the fat will be injected into multiple levels and directions for a smooth, even look. This also helps to ensure that the fat will last longer in the injected area.
According to our patients, the entire procedure (including the liposuction) is generally an easy and low down time procedure with amazing, natural, long lasting results.
We can not only inject your fat into places where you are seeking volume, we can also micro-needle your fat on to your skin. We call this the Stem Cell facial or the Nano-fat facial.
Your own fat is packed with stem cells, which are your body’s natural regenerative substance and one of the benefits of fat transfer is skin rejuvenation and improvement in texture and tone of the skin. In this easy procedure, we also apply your own fat topically, and then micro-needle it in to the skin, to unlock its rejuvenating powers – leaving your skin glowing and hydrated. We think of it like a super-charged Vampire/Plasma facial!
What area’s can be treated with a fat transfer?
At Sonata Aesthetics in Broomfield, Colorado, we are getting amazing results with the fat transfer procedure in many areas of the face:
Many surgeons and Dr’s are not only replacing typical fillers with fat, but are also opting to use it over traditional facelift procedures.
Recovery and what to expect
Even with the minimally invasive liposuction, this a quick and easy to recover from procedure. As there’s no risk of allergic reaction, there’s no need for pre-procedure allergy testing. Once the procedure is complete, you may have some slight bruising and/or swelling in the injected areas. Swelling is usually gone within a few days and any discomfort can be controlled with pain medication. Most patients return to their normal daily activities within hours or, at most, a day or two after the fat transfer procedure.
You can expect immediate results after any swelling has receded. And, as mentioned above, benefits generally last much longer than with other fillers.
Fat transfer vs. fillers
The most important difference between using fat as a filler and other “traditional fillers” is that the fat transfer doesn’t introduce a foreign substance into the body. This is particularly helpful for patients who are sensitive or allergic to products like collagen or Hylaform.
Another factor is how long each treatment typically lasts. Dermal fillers that contain hyaluronic acid, such as Restylane, can break down over the course of several months to a year – meaning additional treatments are necessary. Generally, the effects of a fat transfer can last from 1-2 years, or more! Your body / skin will typically absorb and accept the fat, and will start to ‘build’ new soft tissue in the injected areas.
FAQ's
Really anywhere, but most often it will come from your abdomen, flanks, or outer thighs.
No. Only your own fat will for a blood supply and live within your body.
Absolutely! We have quite a few patients who combine both of these procedures. It provides cost savings, and we will already have your fat to use!
Pain, in most cases, should be minimal. Discomfort (in the areas where fat is removed, and injected) should only be short term and can be managed with oral medication.
These terms all refer to the same procedure. They all involve removing fat from an area of the body, purifying it, and injecting into another area of the body.
The answer, as with most procedures, is 'it depends'. In some cases a filler like Juvederm or Restylane can have better results than a fat transfer. The best option is to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Janowski so he can determine what is best for you specifically.
There is no definite length to the amount of time that the benefits of a fat transfer will last. Over the course of time, a portion of the injected fat will be reabsorbed and dispersed by the body. The other portion will remain in place. Many of our patients, and patients on Real Self, are reporting results lasting years!
Before and after images
We absolutely love this procedure because it’s providing our patients and friends with AMAZING results. If you would like to see if you’re a candidate for fat transfer as a filler, please contact us to set up a free consultation today!
*Results may vary from patient to patient