No matter how well you care for your skin, eventually it’s going to show signs of aging — and that includes a loss of volume in and around the cheek area. As cheeks lose their natural plumpness, lines, wrinkles, and sagging all become more common, and while a face-lift is one solution that can help, most of us would rather avoid surgery if we can.
At ENT Specialists, our team offers another option: fat grafting to replace cheek volume, restoring youthful facial contour while given a gentle lift to the lower part of the face, as well. Here’s how fat grafting could help you look and feel younger.
When we’re young, fat pads in our cheeks help define our facial contours, adding youthful plumpness that smooths out wrinkles and keeps our complexion looking fresh and resilient. Plump cheeks impart a rounder, softer look while gently lifting our lower facial features, including the notorious jowl region.
But as we age, those fat pads tend to “thin out,” leaving the cheek area sagging and flat — sometimes even concave. Like age-related changes in the rest of your face, changes in your cheeks can be related to years of sun damage and UV exposure, hormonal changes, lifestyle habits, and a decline in collagen production, making skin less elastic.
As a result of changes in your cheeks, aging seems to speed up in other areas, like under the eyes or around the nose and mouth. That’s because the cheeks are no longer able to provide the subtle, natural lift and smoothing effect that they did when you were younger.
Fat grafting uses special techniques to transfer “extra” fat from one part of your body, like your belly or your flanks, to another area — in this case, your cheeks. Fat grafting is sometimes called autologous fat grafting because it uses your own fat, which means there’s no risk of rejection or allergic reaction.
At the beginning of treatment, we extract fat using advanced liposuction techniques. Then, the fat is processed and purified before being injected into the cheek area. Our team customizes your treatment, using the right amount of fat to help you achieve the results you want.
It’s important to note that, unlike other dermal fillers, fat transfer lasts for years, which means you’ll enjoy your results much longer. You should also know that not all the fat that’s transferred will “take” — about 40% of implanted fat will be reabsorbed by your body, leaving the remaining half in place. As a result, you may need more than one treatment to get the outcome you’re looking for.
Fat grafting is an effective, natural way to restore lost volume in your cheeks, smooth out wrinkles, and give a gentle lift to the areas around your jowls and lower face.
To find out more about fat grafting and how it can help you achieve your aesthetic goals, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at ENT Specialists in Salt Lake City, Murray, Draper, and Tooele, Utah, today.
