Facelift with fat transfer (aka fat grafting) as the name itself indicates, is not your typical facelift procedure. The great thing about it is that it doesn’t involve deep painful incisions, the actual lifting of the skin, and the post-operative pain as experienced with standard facelift procedures.

The main aim of the fat grafting is to rejuvenate your skin and restore that healthy youthful-looking skin tone you once had.

What’s unique about the procedure

The thing that separates this procedure from the regular facelift lies in the fact that facelift with fat transfer uses your own (adult) stem cells to restore your skin shape and texture. By using your own stem cells from fat tissue, you can get that young look naturally without extreme pain and long periods of recovery.

Fat tissue is unique because it contains pluripotent stem cells which are also called the ‘master cells’ due to their ability to generate new cells from all three body layers. This essentially means they can produce any type of cells in the body which is why they are perfect for face rejuvenation procedures.

How it’s done

The stem cell facelift procedure is performed by taking out the fat tissue containing stem cells and adding growth factors. This tissue is then carefully distributed to different levels of your face where needed the most. For this purpose, doctors use a device that separates the stem cells from the fat cells. Once the stem cells are extracted, they can be re-inserted into the layers in your face to make it youthful and fresh again.

Since the procedure itself isn’t invasive there is no need for general or intravenous anesthesia. Instead, patients only receive local sedation along with oral anesthesia. The fat tissue is usually collected from your lower abdomen or your inner thighs which naturally contain the highest level of fat.

By filling the area of your face with the stem cells this method allows for complete face rejuvenation using your own body cells. One of the first doctors who pioneered in this procedure is Dr. Renato Calabria, California Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.

How long do the results last?

There is no doubt that fat is a perfect material for soft tissue augmentation since it produces natural-looking results unlike some other methods. The best thing about this procedure is that it allows then the skin to naturally renew the surrounding tissue leaving you with a youthful and healthy skin texture. Once the stem cells are re-injected into your face the cells need to get their own blood supply before they start doing their job. If everything is done properly, after the stem cells have adapted to their new environment, they will able to generate long-term results.