Before and After

Fat grafting, or fat transfer, has become very popular in the recent years. There has been research on the stem cell component of fat cells that can blend in with surrounding tissue and improve the appearance and health of that tissue. It may take another decade for further research to continue on stem cells within one’s own fat cells.

Fat grafting has, however, been done for over 25 years in the plastic surgical field. In proper hands, fat grafting and/or fat transfer has achieved superb results that are permanent. Often two or three sittings of fat grafting is necessary spaced several months apart. When done conservatively and carefully, the results can be outstanding.

Fat grafting works very well in the lips, frown lines, cheeks, and jowl area. When properly placed either in these cosmetic flaws, as mentioned above, or in laugh lines or even in traumatic defects throughout the body, the results can be permanent and long-lasting.

The nice thing about fat grafting is that the fat itself is taken from another part of an individual’s body and transplanted into another location for improvement of soft tissue defects or cosmetic flaws. There is no possibility of rejection, since the plastic surgeon is using the individual’s own fat. It is done under local anesthesia and can be done as an outpatient procedure. Many patients prefer to have fat grafts rather than Juvéderm or other synthetic substances that usually last for a year and do not give the permanent results that can be found in fat grafting.

However, the learning curve for the plastic surgeon is much higher in fat grafting, and patients may find that not all plastic surgeons have learned the art of fat grafting. The results of fat grafting even to the upper and lower lips in individuals who wish to have a natural improvement in that part of their face has proven with time to be an excellent surgical procedure.

When before and after photographs are evaluated using fat grafting techniques, the result in the facial appearance can be truly excellent and permanent without any telltale signs of any type of surgical intervention or even intervention with any type of injectable.

Before fat tranfer[Upper Lips]	After Fat tranfer[Upper Lips]
Before fat tranfer[Lips]	After Fat tranfer[Lips]
Before fat tranfer[ Laugh and Frown Line Removal]	After Fat tranfer[ Laugh and Frown Line Removal]
Before fat tranfer[Upper Right Arm]	After Fat tranfer[Upper Right Arm] (1 Year later)

Fat Grafting versus Fat Transfer - What is the Difference?

Answer: There is no difference.

Fat grafting and fat transfer are used interchangeably; they both mean the same thing. Originally, when fat was being moved from one location to another, it became noted under the title of “fat grafting”. This is similar to other types of grafts, in which skin or hair are moved from one part of the body to another by plastic surgeons. When you take a hair follicle and move it from the back of the head to the front of the head, it actually grows because that hair knows where it came from, and it is not destined by its genetic profile to eventually fall out.

Skin grafts have been used for over 100 years to cover a defect when it is taken from one part of the body using healthy skin and moving it to another part of the body where there is burned or disfigured skin. That is why fat grafting came in to play as a word because plastic surgeons were moving fat from one location of the body to another to replace fat that was lost. The new fat taken from another part of the body is programmed to live; whereas, the location where the fat is being placed has been lost.

Probably because the general public did not quite understand what the word “fat grafting” actually meant, many people in the media, as well as plastic surgeons, started to use the word “fat transfer” to basically mean the same thing, that being to move fat from one part of the body to another. Fat grafting or fat transfer has been becoming more mainstream recently because of the tremendous amount of publicity in stem cell research. There are ongoing studies being done that may take a decade to be substantiated. There is ongoing research that may prove that fat cells can represent a certain percent of stem cells.

Fat grafting and/or the word “fat transfer” are becoming very popular, and this article is for informational purposes to help the public better understand that these are used interchangeably, and they basically mean the same thing.

Fat Grafting versus Juvéderm - What is the Difference?

Answer: Juvéderm is a foreign substance basically known as hyaluronic acid.

A lot of research has been done on hyaluronic acid, and a variety of products, Juvéderm being the most popular, are being promoted to be injected into soft tissues for cosmetic improvement. Most of these substances, including Juvéderm, last approximately one year and have been proven to be safe. Juvéderm and other hyaluronic acid injectables have become quite popular because the learning curve is not that difficult, and often short courses are taken by physicians to learn how to use and inject Juvéderm. The one negative about Juvéderm is that it is quite costly, and the manufacturer charges a significant premium for the wholesale cost of this drug to physicians. Fat grafting requires a significant learning curve, and most physicians do not have the time to learn the art of fat grafting. Fat grafting and/or transfer of fat from one part of the body to another has been done for some years and is becoming very popular. However, there is a significant skill involved with learning how to transfer living fat cells to another part of the body with success and for permanent improvement. It has been shown that fat grafting can be quite permanent but may take two or three sittings to get to the final result. Fat grafting has been used for many years to replace lost fat cells in various parts of the body secondary to traumatic injuries. It is also used for cosmetic purposes in skilled plastic surgical hands to augment the lips, cheeks, frown lines, chin, or other areas that could be benefited by a permanent improvement. There has been significant publicity recently in the fact that fat cells may represent, to some degree, stem cells.

Juvéderm and other temporary injectables will always remain quite popular because they can be used by the general physician community with a very low learning curve, with the physician taking some short learning courses that are offered by a variety of entities. However, fat grafting requires significantly more skill, and the learning curve for physicians is quite extensive and, therefore, it is usually used by doctors specialized in the field of plastic surgery. Also, the publicity on fat grafting is much less because fat basically is free and can be taken from certain parts of the body without an additional cost versus Juvéderm and other injectables made by pharmaceutical companies, which have a lot of money, a lot of research, and a lot of advertising dollars to promote their products.

Fat Grafting versus Restylane - What is the Difference?

Answer: Restylane is a foreign substance basically known as hyaluronic acid.

A lot of research has been done on hyaluronic acid, and a variety of products, Restylane being one of the most popular, are being promoted to be injected into soft tissues for cosmetic improvement. Most of these substances, including Restylane, last approximately one year and have been proven to be safe. Restylane and other hyaluronic acid injectables have become quite popular because the learning curve is not that difficult, and often short courses are taken by physicians to learn how to use and inject Restylane. The one negative about Restylane is that it is quite costly, and the manufacturer charges a significant premium for the wholesale cost of this drug to physicians. Fat grafting requires a significant learning curve, and most physicians do not have the time to learn the art of fat grafting. Fat grafting and/or transfer of fat from one part of the body to another has been done for some years and is becoming very popular. However, there is a significant skill involved with learning how to transfer living fat cells to another part of the body with success and for permanent improvement. It has been shown that fat grafting can be quite permanent but may take two or three sittings to get to the final result. Fat grafting has been used for many years to replace lost fat cells in various parts of the body secondary to traumatic injuries. It is also used for cosmetic purposes in skilled plastic surgical hands to augment the lips, cheeks, frown lines, chin, or other areas that could be benefited by a permanent improvement. There has been significant publicity recently in the fact that fat cells may represent, to some degree, stem cells.

Restylane and other temporary injectables will always remain quite popular because they can be used by the general physician community with a very low learning curve, with the physician taking some short learning courses that are offered by a variety of entities. However, fat grafting requires significantly more skill, and the learning curve for physicians is quite extensive and, therefore, it is usually used by doctors specialized in the field of plastic surgery. Also, the publicity on fat grafting is much less because fat basically is free and can be taken from certain parts of the body without an additional cost versus Restylane and other injectables made by pharmaceutical companies, which have a lot of money, a lot of research, and a lot of advertising dollars to promote their products.

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