For many mid-age adults considering a facelift procedure, many are now opting for fat grafting facelift procedure. Dr. Roy David a San Diego facial plastic surgeon says “many patients are opting for fat transfer and liquid facelift procedure instead, due to the non-invasiveness of the procedures and the excellent results”.
The facial fat grafting procedure involves removing a small amount of fat from the mid-section region, purifying it and injecting it into the sagging, sunken-in areas of the face. The fat is used to fill in cheeks, jawline, eye area and other facial areas where needed. Dr. David says, “as we age we lose volume in the face, which leads to sagging, deflated skin and concave sunken areas around the eyes. Fat transfer offers a more permanent solution to synthetic fillers and he believes that injecting ones fat enhances the skin and facial contours by increasing blood supply and overall skin health”.
Fat grafting is performed using a micro-cannulas. This makes the procedure very safe, as well as artistic and nuanced; the surgeon is able to sculpt the face in a natural way by gradually adding volume if diffuse increments. This is a much different approach from most synthetic fillers- which are often placed in discrete aliquots.
Dr. David also recommends for anyone that is having a mini-facelift or full facelift that they should consider having fat grafting done at same time. Skin tightening and lifting sagging skin and soft tissue does not produce the best and most natural results. It is important to simultaneously correct areas of hollowness and fat loss so that the lifted skin appears well supported and obtains a youthful contour.
Dr. David recommends the fat transfer facelift for those that have thin aging faces. It is not designed for an overweight face that already has excessive fatty tissue. The procedure takes about 1 ½ hours and is done at Dr. David’s private surgical center. The typical downtime is about one week in comparison to a normal facelift where the downtime is about 4 weeks.
Dr. David says, “fat grafting has come a long way in the past five years, the procedure is long lasting and the results are excellent. At first there were doubts whether the fat cells would survive once transplanted but by adding tiny drops of fat ensures that the fat cells receive the blood supply they need to live. The end result is a much longer lasting result then what you get with facial fillers to the face”.
San Diego facial plastic surgeon Dr. Roy David is a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and specializes in plastic surgery exclusively of the Face, Nose, Eyes, Neck, and Scalp. He has been in practice in San Diego for over ten years, helping thousands of patients to achieve their goals.
Dr. David is double-board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and theAmerican Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. David is one of a select group of plastic surgeons to complete a prestigious Fellowship in Facial Plastic Surgery under the auspices of the AAFPRS.
