Restore Your Facial Volume Naturally with Your Own Fat
The facial aging process may begin to reveal itself in men and women as early as the late twenties and early thirties. One of the first signs of facial aging is a subtle loss of volume in areas such as the upper cheek, the temples, and the area beneath the corner of the mouth. The face begins to lose the look of vitality that is present in youth.
The cause of these changes in facial appearance is simply a loss of fat. Unless we are on the heavy side our faces will lose volume progressively over each decade beginning in the thirties. These changes are even more noticeable in trim people who are athletic, what Dr. Cook refers to as the Athlete’s Paradox. On one hand, a regular exercise program is the closest thing we have to the proverbial “Fountain of Youth.” Our hearts, brains, and bodies work better and longer when we exercise regularly. On the other hand, people who are intensely athletic often have faces that are somewhat gaunt and hollow.
Options to Restore Facial Volume
Fortunately, there is a wide range of options for facial volume restoration for patients at the Whole Beauty® Institute. A wide range of injectable fillers, such as Voluma, Juvederm, Restylane, and Volbella enable volume restoration with a simple office visit. Good as these fillers are, for many patients an even better option exists- facial fat transfer. Fat transfer is the most natural method for volume restoration since it uses your own fat. In fact, it is often referred to as “autologous fat transfer,” which signifies that it comes from you and you alone. We simply remove a small amount of fat from an area of excess and inject in into the natural fat compartments of the face. This provides our patients with a double benefit- a reduction of fat in an area where it is not desired and a restoration of fat in an area where it is lacking.
Dr. John Q. Cook Has Extensive Experience with Facial Fat Transfer
Dr. Cook has extensive experience with facial fat transfer. He has offered this technique to his patients for over 20 years and has performed several thousand fat transfers. Experience is important, and artistic sensibility is equally important. Each face has its own internal logic. The goal is not to alter your natural form, but simply to restore it.
The Facial Fat Transfer Experience
For a patient who is interested in facial fat transfer Dr. Cook performs a detailed evaluation which includes the zones of the face that could benefit from volume restoration, the area from which he will obtain the fat and your overall medical history. If he feels you are a candidate, you will meet with one of our coordinators, who can help you select a day for your procedure.
On the day of your fat transfer, you are encouraged to eat a light meal. When you arrive at the office you will be given some pills that make you relaxed. Dr. Cook will mark on your face an individualized map for fat transfer and will also mark the zone from which the fat is obtained. He will then gently inject a local anesthetic to block the nerves in the area where he will be working.
You will then be escorted to the room where the fat transfer will take place. Dr. Cook will make a tiny opening through which he will inject a fluid that numbs then the entire area where he will harvest the fat. He will then perform a miniature liposuction to gently obtain the fat. The fat is then prepared for transfer to the face. Through the numbed skin of the face, Dr. Cook will make openings with a needle in key locations. These openings allow for the passage of a tiny tube called a cannula that Dr. Cook uses to inject the fat.
The specific pattern of injection varies with each patient since facial fat transfer is a highly individualized process. The total time of the fat transfer procedure process is between one and two hours.
The Benefits of Facial Fat Transfer
In many ways, facial fat transfer is the most artistic way to restore facial volume. The fat can be placed at a variety of levels so that an extremely natural, soft result is obtained.
Facial Fat Transfer Before and After
Patients often observe an improvement in the quality of their skin after fat transfer. This may be because fat is a rich source of stem cells. In this sense, a facial fat transfer does more than just restore volume – it provides true rejuvenation.
Fat transfer works well as a stand-alone procedure, but Dr. Cook often combines it with other procedures. He makes use of fat transfer in almost every facelift procedure that he performs. Fat transfer is also frequently combined with facial rejuvenation, eyelid surgery, and other facial procedures. Most of these procedures can be carried out under local anesthesia.
If you are looking for a natural way to rejuvenate your facial contour with an expectation of subtle and youthful results, a facial fat transfer may be right for you. For more information about the procedure contact the Whole Beauty® Institute or call 312-751-2112 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Cook.