Fat transfer or lipo filling is a procedure where fat from an unwanted area is removed, processed and re-injected in another body area/face. It is an innovative treatment which has become popular in the last few years thanks to celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj.
Such a procedure combined with liposuction, is able to change one’s silhouette e.g achieving a narrower waist and rounder hips and buttocks. It is also a very cost worthy procedure for individuals who have lost a large amount of facial fat and require volume restoration.
The biggest advantage of fat transfer procedures is that the volumizing ‘product’ is one’s own (fat), making it impossible for the body to react allergically to it. Also, the amount of volume displaced is very high; from 10 to 40cc for fat transfer to face to over 500cc in buttock reshaping.
The procedure is split up in 3 stages; the harvesting of the fat, the isolation of the fat cells and the reinjection of the fat in the desired area. The harvesting is done carefully by means of special cannulas which damage the fat cells the least possible. In the second stage, the fat is isolated from the body fluids and anaesthetic, and platelet rich plasma is added to it to prepare it better for the body to accept it. The last part is the actual injection of the fat via a cannula.
During the first few weeks, it is imperative for the area treated to be handled with a lot of care since fat cells since blood supply to them is still being formed. Some loss (of approximately 30%) of volume is noted during this period, which is pre-empted by means of over compensation of fat during injection time.
The fat transplanted which remains after this process is there to stay and fluctuates according to one’s weight gain/loss. In some cases, this process is repeated for optimal volume reach, according to one’s expectations.