Dr. Buckinghams Q&A

Here’s the skinny on fat transfer: it’s a popular procedure that takes excess fat tissue from one part of the body (think your hips, thighs or abdomen) and repurposes it in another area of the body in need of a little extra volume.

Fat transfer can actually be traced back to the late 1800s, when aesthetic surgeons found the treatment to be an effective way to re-contour parts of the body by moving around and re-inserting the patient’s fatty tissue into places that can most profit from a fuller, shapelier appearance.

Today, cosmetic surgeons are finding new uses for this ancient procedure that are fast becoming popular alternatives to synthetic fillers like Juvederm, Restylane and Radiesse or even Sculptra.

Face First

While fat transfer has become increasingly popular for buttock augmentation and breast enhancement in recent years, the face has long been one of the most popular areas for treatment. Here, fat transfer can help to rejuvenate and sculpt the face for a more youthful, pleasing appearance. Common areas treated include the lower eyelids, temples, cheeks, nasolabial folds and jawline. It can help to reverse that sunken, tired look that often occurs with age due to volume loss.

Probably not much to your surprise, thighs, stomachs and buttocks are ideal spots for harvesting excess fat. In fact, most people want or could stand to lose an inch or two from these areas. An experienced facial plastic surgeon can remove the extra fat, process it and then inject it into areas in need of a little extra volume.

Fat Chances

Keep in mind that your specialist may inject more fatty tissue than might appear necessary. That’s because your body will naturally absorb some of the fat soon after the procedure. This can result in a temporarily puffy appearance but, once this resolves, your look should be exactly what you want.

Certainly, there is a time and place for just about everyone to transfer fat from one part of the body to another. Think of laugh lines, forehead creases and sunken cheeks – all areas where a little extra volume can go a long way to reshape and rejuvenate your appearance.

The Benefits of Using Your Own Fat

Another good thing about fat transfer is that it involves you – your cells – making redistribution biocompatible and more natural than a synthetic implant while also reducing or eliminating the possibility of allergic reactions or rejection to the procedure. Some patients will experience bleeding or swelling, but these side effects are minimal and can be controlled easily.
While facial fat transfer has been around for a very long time, recent advances and new techniques have dramatically improved the results, allowing for a smoother, very natural look and longer lasting improvement. Fat transfer allows you to make the most of your body for a natural, youthful beauty.

Trusted and innovative, Dr. Edward Buckingham was recently re-elected as a delegate to the Texas Medical Association, the largest state medical society in the country, as well as one of the oldest and most powerful nationwide. To contact the Buckingham Center for Facial Plastic Surgery in Austin, Texas, and to learn more about fat transfer, call (512) 401-2500 or visit them online at http://www.buckinghamfacialplastics.com/.

Question:
I feel like my eyes make me look tired and old and I really hate my dark circles. What can I do to make my eyes look young again?

Answer:
It sounds as if you are primarily referring to your lower eyelids. Lower eyelids tend to look tired and have dark circles when they either have fat which has protruded from the orbit or more likely a combination of that as well as a deficiency of upper cheek volume. Deficiency of upper cheek volume with or without the upper orbital fat protruding leads to a dark shadow under the eyes. Lower eyelids can  be rejuvenated by removing orbital fat if necessary and adding volume to the orbital groove therefore enhancing the convex appearance of the upper cheek. We use fat transfer to accomplish this result. Facial fat transfer is an minimally invasive rejuvenation procedure which allows us to sculpt and restore the face to its natural youthful beauty. The results are natural and long lasting because the patient’s own tissue is used.  During a facial fat transfer, fat is first harvested from a fattier area of the body, such as the abdomen or hips through a gentle suctioning technique then transferred int o the areas of the face in which this restoration is needed.

Posted by Dr. Buckingham

Question:
I’m in Austin, Texas and looking to rejuvenate my face. I’d like to know, what are the pros and cons of having a fat transfer on my face instead of using another type of filler?

Answer:
A fat transfer is the best procedure for providing overall volume replacement for the face. It is however, associated with 2-3 weeks of social recovery time and requires anesthetic. Fat transfer is not very useful for filling in the lines around the mouth however as the movement of the mouth area prevents predictable and substantial results. The fat transfer into this area usually does not survive in significant quantities. Fillers therefore very useful for perioral contouring and is the procedure of choice for this area. Patients who could not tolerate the recovery time of fat transfer prefer doing fillers. The fillers we utilize for large-volume restoration are usually Sculptra or at times Radiesse. Fat transfer does have a significant advantage in the appropriate facial areas of longevity. The fat cells that survive in the face will be evident for many years and does not absorb like filler.

Posted by Dr. Buckingham

Question:
I am a 51-year-old woman in excellent physical condition. Would it be difficult to obtain a sufficient amount of fat for a facial fat transfer and will the removal of fat leave any markings on my body?

Answer:
Even in very fit woman enough fat for fat transfer can usually be found. The common sites for harvesting in thin patients are the outer or inner thigh. The harvesting entry sites are very small and are placed in inconspicuous locations. The fat is removed from a broad area and so therefore, while a thin patient may notice some improvement in contour unsitely marks are uncommon. Occassionally a patient may not have enough fat for harvesting and in those patients alternative methods for volume replacement such as Sculptra are utilized.

Posted by Dr. Buckingham

Question:
Is fat transfer a good option for plumping the lips?

Answer:
A fat transfer is a procedure which is intended to augment the bony areas of the face more prominently the cheeks and periorbital region however also along the jawline. As you get into the tissues around the mouth the permanency of a fat transfer is less predictable. This would include plumping the lips. I don’t recommend performing a fat transfer just for lip augmentation, however if the patient is undergoing a fat transfer for other reasons I will often add some fat to plump the lips as well. I just caution patients that they may only see a six-month result in this area of the face. Having said that I have several patient’s who have better longevity and perhaps permanency to some degree in the lips.

Posted by Dr. Buckingham