Dr. Sam Lam Plastic Surgery Forum

Dr. Lam
From your site I know your opposed to injected fat for facial atrophy. But what about if fat is used to augment the cheek areas what happens to surrounding skin? Does it smooth itself out from the fat?


Thanks

a point of clarification:
1. i am not opposed to do fat grafting for facial atrophy so long as it is not in a very young gaunt person who wants. someone who is older then yes. someone 21 and athletic is not a good candidate. if the atrophy is due to some aggressive laser then yes. with HIV, i hear there can be problems down the road but i have not seen it in one patient i did about 2 years ago.
2. if you put it in the cheek smoothly and weight is maintained, it should look very smooth regardless if fat is placed around it elsewhere. however, i like to place fat in multiple small areas to create the most balanced results, as i discuss on this site.
hope that helps.
sml

I am 36 and have done all the normal anti aging procedures. (botox and fillers and skin care) I want to put off surgery as long as possible. I am a runner and am starting to notice loose skin and a thin face. My question is will the fat transfer help to fill up loose skin and can you control and regulate the amount so it doesn't look overdone?

nothing really helps loose skin but sometimes we blame loose skin when we really just have hollowness. fat grafting is very safe in my hands with really one big risk, significant weight gain after the procedure. if you are a runner and stop running and gain a lot of weight then it can look overdone. if not, i really do not overfill my patients. by filling a little bit in a lot of small places (which i can better explain in person) you can get a very balanced, natural look that does not look overdone.
best,
sml

Hi ! I am 57 yr old female from Md USA. I had Juvederm injected on my face in June 2010, and my question is: How long should I wait to consider facial fat grafting after injecting?
One more question, When can I make plan for this procedure?.

it depends on how many syringes and where they were placed. ultimately, it depends on how much has gone away. if you believe most of it is gone, then you could consider a fat transfer. i can also dissolve out the remainder but it is easier to wait until most of it is gone before deciding to do it. that could be a few months or a year.
best,
sml