Fat Grafting
Conveniently located to serve Little Rock
Little Rock Oculoplastic & Facial Cosmetic Surgeon
Overview
Also known as fat sculpting, fat grafting uses your own natural tissue to restore a youthful shape and volume to your face. Facial fat grafting in Little Rock can be used to fill in wrinkles and furrows like the nasolabial folds, parentheses lines, and marionette lines. It can also fill in hollow depressions in areas like the chin and cheeks.
Am I a Good Candidate for Fat Grafting?
The best candidates for a fat transfer are healthy individuals with enough body fat to add volume to the tear troughs, temples, cheeks, area around the mouth, jawline, or chin. This treatment is highly recommended to patients who want a natural look without using fillers.
Since the fat is harvested from the patient, this treatment is a safe option for candidates who are allergic to certain types of fillers. The procedure is highly customized and can be adjusted to match the patient’s expectations and preferences.
Before considering fat grafting, it is a good idea to practice a healthy lifestyle by avoiding activities that can cause skin aging like smoking or drinking alcohol.
Your Initial Fat Grafting Consultation
To understand your goals for facial fat grafting, Dr. Brock will meet with you for a consultation. During this consultation, he will ask you a series of questions regarding your aesthetic goals. He will also examine your face and ask you about your complete medical history to ensure that the procedure is safe for you. Finally, he will create a surgical plan for your procedure.
How to Prepare for a Fat Grafting
Once we have finished creating a surgical plan for you, we will also provide special instructions to help you prepare before the fat grafting procedure. Some may be related to your physical health, while others may be focused on your schedule and necessities.
Before the procedure, avoid sunbathing for at least two weeks. You should always limit sun exposure. Excessive sun exposure can worsen swelling and lead to possible scarring after the procedure.
Take a break from anti-inflammatory medications, blood thinners, and herbal supplements as directed. Taking these can increase the risk of excessive bruising and swelling.
To experience a smooth and quick recovery, quit smoking for at least four to six weeks before and after your fat grafting procedure. Avoid drinking alcohol for at least 48 hours before and after the procedure as well.
Schedule your time off work for at least five to seven days. This should be enough time for the bruising, swelling, and incision sites to improve enough for social interactions. Expect to be prescribed pain medication and other types of medication for recovery.
The Fat Grafting Procedure
Harvesting the fat is the first step in a facial fat transfer. Liposuction is used to remove healthy and robust fat cells from your abdomen, outer thigh near your hip or inner thigh above your knees. Dr. Brock prefers to harvest it from the inner thigh, because he finds the fat in this region to be of a very high quality.
After isolating individual fat cells, they are injected through a small sculpting cannula into the soft tissue areas of your face where fat has been lost to aging or common familial traits. Fat grafting can enhance your cheeks, lips, upper or lower eyelids, and other parts of your face to create a more youthful appearance.
Approximately sixty percent of the fat that is relocated will survive; this will vary from one individual to another and also depend on location of injection. To compensate for loss, Dr. Brock will insert more fat than required during the procedure. In the rare case where a patient might be undercorrected, it is possible to inject additional fat or enhance the area with filler.
Fat Grafting Recovery
You may experience slight pain and discomfort for a few days. If your lips were injected, you may find it difficult to talk for a short time. Dr. Brock will prescribe necessary pain management medication to help you recover and stay comfortable.
Many patients are able to return to their normal routines within a week. It is normal and expected to experience slight inflammation, swelling, and soreness around the harvesting site. This will subside in a few days. Cold compresses may be used to help ameliorate these issues.
Testimonial
Dr. Brock saw me on short notice, his staff did a great job. He stayed late to see me. He called me on my cell phone to make sure the MRI went well. The next morning he called to tell me my results. I would highly recommend Dr. Brock.
How Much Does Fat Grafting Cost?
Many factors go into determining the overall cost of a patient’s facial fat grafting procedure. The price of fat grafting depends on factors like the total procedure time, the amount of fat being transferred, and the number of transfer sites.
Set Up a Consultation
Arrange a consultation with Dr. Wade Brock regarding fat grafting in Little Rock – contact us today to set up your appointment. We will be happy to help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
