Lipofilling: Your New Best Friend
Are you looking for a way to smooth away signs of aging or enhance a certain area of the body without surgery? If so, lipofilling may be the right option for you. This procedure actually takes fat cells from one area of the body and places them into another, to give you a smoother, more proportionate body contour. At the same time, lipofilling can be an effective anti-aging treatment, using your own fat cells to smooth away lines and restore youthful facial volume for natural, long-lasting results.
Two-Step Process, Double Benefits
Lipofilling is a two-step process that offers double the results of other procedures. First, fat is taken from one area of the body, which leaves that treatment area leaner and more sculpted after the procedure. Once the fat is removed, it is harvested and prepared for the second step of the process, which is performed via injection.
Depending on the amount of fat that is harvested, you can use these injections to augment an area of the body like the breasts or buttocks. You can also use the injections to enhance the face by smoothing away wrinkles and restoring volume to areas like the cheeks and jawline. The entire procedure only takes about one hour to perform in our office and patients are generally back to their regular activities within 3-5 days.
Step One: Fat Reduction
Fat reduction is performed via liposuction, a minimally-invasive procedure that removes stubborn pockets of fat using a small tube called a cannula. A tiny incision is used to insert the cannula directly into the fat pocket, which loosens fat cells before suctioning them out of the body. This procedure can be performed under local or general anesthesia, depending on the preference of the patient and surgeon and the amount of fat to be removed.
Liposuction is the part of the process that involves anesthesia and a recovery time. However, the benefits of liposuction include reduction of fat in problem areas that have not previously responded to diet and exercise efforts. The procedure can be performed on multiple areas, including:
- Midsection and muffin top
- Hips and flanks
- Inner and outer thighs
- Upper and lower back
- Upper arms
- Calves and knees
Dr. Small will discuss your specific aesthetic goals with you to determine whether liposuction will meet your body contouring needs best.
Step Two: Augmentation and Enhancement
Once the fat cells are removed from one area of the body, they can be purified and prepared for injection into another area. Injections can then be administered into areas of the body in need of additional curves, such as the breasts and buttocks. The advantages to this procedure over synthetic implants include a natural look and feel, as well as the absence of incisions and resulting scarring.
Injections can also be used to enhance the appearance of the face, in a similar fashion to dermal fillers. For example, injections may be placed in strategic locations to support the underlying dermal structure, smoothing away wrinkles and facial creases from the inside out. The injections can also be used to add definition and youthful volume to the cheeks and jawline, where skin laxity can result in the appearance of hollowing and skin sagging.
Is Lipofilling Right for You?
Lipofilling is an excellent way to produce natural, long-lasting facial and body enhancement results. However, the procedure is not right for everyone. You must have isolated areas of fat that have not responded to diet and exercise, in amounts sufficient to provide enough filler for other areas. For those that qualify for this procedure, it can be an excellent option for fulfilling a variety of aesthetic goals. To learn more, contact Ocean Plastic Surgery at (732) 255-7155.