Fat Grafting Is The Filler Procedure That Lasts Longer Than Traditional Injections
Oh, how we envy those with a baby face. Plump cheeks and smooth skin are heavily desired facial features. As you age, it is natural to lose volume in your face, resulting in wrinkles, saggy skin, and decreased definition. Derma fillers have been a solution to restoring youth one syringe at a time. Popular injections are made using hyaluronic acid, which is a compound naturally found in the body. HA draws in water, allowing increased hydration and improved contouring, which is something you should know before getting hyaluronic acid injections.
Derma fillers are a great minimally invasive alternative to facelifts. However, another option is proving to outlast these facial injections — fat grafting. You may have heard of fat grafting for breast and buttock augmentation but what about for your face? Usually, you work to decrease your body fat, but that same thing you exercise to get rid of is the key to restoring lost volume.
What if fat grafting?
Facial fat grafting pulls fat from one area of your body and uses it as filler for your face. Fat is usually grafted from the thigh, belly, or sides. Afterward, it is purified before being injected into the face. It is a procedure that delivers natural plumping results. Technically you're not adding anything to your body that's not already yours. There isn't any risk of infection or rejection since the filler comes from your own fat. Although such negative responses are uncommon with HA injections, there are higher possibilities of rejection with permanent facial fillers.
This rejuvenating procedure is commonly done to improve laugh lines, under-eye bags, forehead wrinkles, and creases around the nose, as well as restore volume in the cheeks or lips. The injected fat is often overfilled into the area, as only 60% is preserved in the new location. According to Stanford Medicine, platelet rich plasma collected from your blood can improve fat retention rates. It can be done with fat grafting but at an extra cost. So, how does fat grafting compare to traditional facial fillers?
Facial fat grafting vs. derma fillers
Although derma fillers and facial fat grafting help you achieve your desired look, the procedures are different. The results from derma fillers are instant. Right after the minimally invasive procedure, you can see plumped skin and minimized lines. With facial fat grafting, results can take three to six months to show. During this time, the fat cells are fixing themselves to their new location, and your body is absorbing the fat. However, after the wait is over, your results are permanent. Traditional derma fillers last six months, with the best injections lasting over a year.
Since fat grafting involves two operations (collecting and injecting the fat), you can experience more bruising and swelling compared to fillers. There is essentially no downtime with HA fillers. Plus, if you ever change your mind, the traditional injection can be dissolved. Reversing fat grafting requires more surgery.
If you're only looking for quick skincare tweakments, fillers are your best bet. You can schedule an appointment on your lunch break. Fat grafting is a more involved procedure. However, permanent results without rejection or infection risk are hard to beat.