Fat Injections

Body fat makes excellent soft tissue filler material. Fat injection (also called autologous fat transplantation) transfers fat from one part of the body to another to recontour the face and fill up the nasolabial folds (laugh lines). It will also provide definition to areas like the cheeks and chin. It can also be used to fill out depressed scarred areas on any part of the body. It is also used to rejuvenate the lower lids and the back of the hands. Fat injection is not always permanent and may require an effective maintenance program. The donor site (for example, abdomen, buttocks, knees or thighs) and the treatment site are injected with local anesthetic. Fat cells are extracted through a small needle attached to a syringe. The fat is then processed to remove excess fluids and reinjected with another needle in multiple thin strands in the desired area. "Overfilling" is necessary due to fat absorption in the weeks after treatment. Fat also can be harvested during a lipoplasty (liposuction) procedure in one area of the body, and then reinjected in another. For longest-lasting effect, patients generally receive few treatments over a six-month period. Good for nasolabial folds, lips, scars, wrinkles, lower lids and hands.