Fat was originally transplanted into specific areas such as the grooves that run from the corners of the mouth to the sides of the chin. The trend now, however, is to inject fat into wider areas. It is now recognized that a certain volume of tissue is required in order to give the face a full, youthful appearance. While injection of fat into specific areas is important, augmentation over wide areas is becoming increasingly popular as a method for filling in hollowed areas in the cheeks, around the eyes, or in thinned areas around the mouth. The chances of the fat surviving depends upon the specific technique that is used.
Some practitioners make an effort to keep the fat cells alive.
Others make an injectable filler material from fat cells that are processed in such a way so that survival is not possible. This means that in some people it is necessary to repeat the procedure after six to twelve months. The advantage of fat as filler material is that relatively large volumes of material can be removed from one part of the body and injected over wide areas of the face to revitalize thinning or hollowed areas. To learn more about this procedure from those who perform it, click on the Services bar and type in Fat Augmentation.