Dallas Plastic Surgery: Fat Grafting Lecture In Hilton Head

Dr. Lam grafting lectures to his facial plastic surgery colleagues about the aesthetic principles, technical aspects, and results with facial fat for facial rejuvenation in Hilton Head, SC.

As the face matures over the years, facial fat loss contributes to a hollow, sunken look that typifies the aged countenance. The analogy of the full grape that begins to transform into a shriveled raisin may be helpful in understanding the process of volume loss that affects the face. Transferring fat from your thighs or belly to the areas that have lost fat in the face, like the brow, lower eyelid, cheek, and jawline can restore the youthful vitality of your face. Removal of fat from the body does not constitute body contouring or "liposuction", as the technique that Dr. Lam uses to harvest the fat from the body is different from traditional liposuction. Care must be exercised to remove only the appropriate amount of fat from the body in a gentle manner, while ensuring that harvested fat cells remain undamaged.

Fat transfer may not be the solution for everyone. Traditional face and browlifting can be appropriate for many individuals seeking facial enhancement. However, facial fat transfer can also be effectively combined with facial lifting procedures to provide the optimal aesthetic result in the right candidate. Fat transfer to the lips, smile lines, and around the mouth is less than ideal due to the risks of eventual fat absorption as well as unnecessarily prolonged recovery. Dr. Lam tends to reserve the use of other fillers or skin therapies in this region when individuals desire enhancement around the mouth.

Fat transfer has become a cornerstone of rejuvenation for Dr. Lam, as volume enhancement for the face represents an entirely new way of looking at the aging face. Rather than remove away precious tissue, Dr. Lam prefers to restore lost tissue and shape to the deflated and sunken face using his unique approach to fat enhancement. Dr. Lam has already completed his third textbook on fat enhancement, entitled Complementary Fat Grafting (Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA 2006), and believes that fat enhancement represents the present and the future for facial enhancement. Fat grafting requires very little sedation (light anesthesia), and Dr. Lam's method does not require any body or facial incisions at all.

For patients seeking a non-surgical option for volume restoration of the face, many other choices are available at Dr. Lam's office, including Sculptra, Restylane, and Radiesse, each of which has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Although facial implants can be used in volume enhancement of the aging face, Dr. Lam typically prefers to use fat transfer, as this method provides the ability to shape complex areas of volume loss and facial implants alone can worsen the hollowness below one's eyes.

Dr. Lam also specializes in fat transfer for aging hands in order to provide matched facial and hand rejuvenation. Oftentimes after wonderful facial rejuvenation, an individual exhibits mature-looking hands that still give away his or her age. Fat transfer to the hands is a short, pain-free procedure that provides not only immediate benefit but ongoing improvement in skin texture and tone.