As a breast and body contouring expert, fat grafting is one of my go-to procedures. The benefits of fat transfer for my Long Island patients are numerous. To start, it is an incredibly effective procedure for restoring lost volume. The end results are permanent, and since we harvest the fat with liposuction from an area where you have more than you’d like, it’s also a two-for-one procedure. In addition, a major benefit of fat grafting is versatility. I can inject fat practically anywhere on the face or body where you need more volume. I can correct liposuction deformities from previous liposuction procedures, and it has become a common addendum to my breast augmentation or removal of breast implants procedures as a way to improve shape, often by increasing upper pole fullness. But it’s also an excellent method for restoring proper body proportion, and regenerating the face.
What is Fat Grafting?
Fat grafting is a surgical procedure in which your own fat cells are injected into areas of volume loss. As mentioned, the fat is “harvested” via liposuction. In my early days as a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, we would just throw the fat out as the emphasis, both within my profession and the media at large, was exclusively on fat reduction. However, when it became clear that one of the biggest contributors to aging is volume loss, those of us in the aesthetic community who specialize in body contouring realized that we were sitting on what I like to call “liquid gold”.
Strategically placing fat cells into areas of the face or body where there is not enough volume is both safe and effective. Many patients like the idea of using a material that is native to their own body. But it is important to keep in mind that not all of the injected fat cells will “take”, making the end result less predictable than a breast implant, for example. This is why it’s critical that you see a plastic surgeon with a lot of experience. However, those fat cells that do stick around are around for good.
Fat Grafting to the Breasts
When I am performing breast surgery such as:
- Breast Augmentation with Breast Implants
- Mastopexy or Breast Lift
- Implant Exchange or Removal
I will often combine the procedure with fat grafting as a way to precisely shape your breasts into the best contour for your unique anatomy. This may include adding fat to the top portion of your breasts for that upper pole fullness that so many women desire. Or, if you have very little body fat, fat grafting to the breasts can be an ideal method for camouflaging the edges of an implant so that your breasts look and feel most natural. I may even use fat grafting as a stand-alone procedure to increase breast size, but this is best for patients who only desire a small bump up in volume.
Buttock Augmentation
The other common area where I place fat is in the buttocks. This procedure, often referred to as a BBL or Brazilian Butt Lift, has gotten a bad reputation. Personally, my goal with any aesthetic procedure is to deliver a natural looking result so I’ve never been one to place a large amount of volume in the buttocks. But strategically placing a small amount of fat into the top of the buttocks can be a really great way to rejuvenate your entire body. Everyone’s backside tends to flatten with age. Fat grafting to the buttocks can be a safe, effective way to restore your natural curves. The interesting thing about properly placed fat is that it doesn’t take a lot to transform your body. And as long as you see someone such as myself who places the fat superficially in the buttocks, this is a perfectly safe procedure that can make your torso look longer, leaner and more fit.
Fat Transfer to the Hands
Another fat transfer to the body procedure that is very popular with my patients is fat grafting to the back of the hands. With age, we lose plumpness in the skin and tissues of the hands. The end result is visible, prominent veins that are incredibly aging. Patients will often spend considerable time and money on rejuvenating the face, but then forget the hands. Adding volume back with fat is a fantastic way to take decades off the appearance of your hands. Since this is an area of the body that you look at all the time, the positive effect on your psyche is as powerful as the actual physical rejuvenation.
To find out more about fat transfer, fat grafting to the breasts or any surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Mark Epstein in Hauppauge, Long Island, contact us today or call 631-689-1100 to schedule a consultation.
