Fat Injections (Body Contouring)
Targeted Injections
Among the most popular plastic surgery procedures on the market today are those that use a technique known as fat grafting (or fat transfer). These procedures are diverse, including everything from Brazilian Butt Lift to Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation to lip injections. For many of our Houston area fat graft patients, the appeal of these procedures is in their “two-for-one” nature: fat is removed from an unwanted area and put to better use somewhere else.
When performed at our Clear Lake, TX, office, fat injections are, in some ways, generally targeted towards helping alleviate wrinkles or excess skin in the hands, the stomach, or other areas of the body that show lack of volume. However, we are able to provide access to more commonly requested procedures, such as Fat Graft breast augmentation and Brazilian Butt Lift procedures. The advantage of a Fat Injection is that you limit the possibility of allergic reaction, but it is an inherently more complex procedure due to the donation of fat from body through liposuction (though, this can also be a benefit to the procedure).
If you’re considering a Fat Injection in the Houston Clear Lake Area, contact Dr. Polsen for a personal and professional opinion during a confidential consultation. Or, contact our Clear Lake office at (281) 538-6600.
Overview:
- Fat is donated through a liposuction procedure
- Injects fat into targeted areas, such as hips or buttock, to achieve a more defined figure
- Recovery: 1-2 weeks for light activity; swelling for 3 months
Who is a Good Candidate for Fat Graft Procedures?
When fat graft patients first visit our Houston area offices, they are often unsure if they are a good candidate for a fat transfer procedure or if they should pursue a different technique to get their desired results. In general, candidates who are interested in Fat Injections are:
- Often unable to achieve the look they want through diet and exercise,
- Suffer from persistent fat pockets or because of excess skin and lack of volume
- Have poor elasticity in their skin
- In relatively good health and be of generally stable weight
- Have realistic expectations of what the procedure will accomplish
- Want to gain volume in specific areas of the body
- Desire the natural look and feel that comes with fat injection results
- Are not interested in or are not good candidates for other implant options
- Understand the sometimes challenging recovery period involved with this procedure
The Procedure
The exact nature of your fat transfer procedure will depend greatly on your desired results. Each area of the body requires a different approach. However, one thing is consistent throughout all fat transfer plastic surgery procedures: they all start with liposuction.
With any Fat Injection procedure, fat must first be donated from the body. As mentioned above, this is accomplished through a liposuction procedure (and patients may elect to target areas for liposuction that will help them achieve their overall look). Liposuction will generally involve a small incision into which a tube-like device called a cannula is inserted. Dr. Polsen will run the cannula along the targeted area, removing the fat in a way that contours the body to the new results. Patients are generally instructed to take several days off of work following a liposuction procedure, and it could take a few weeks for swelling or bruising to recede.
Once that process is complete, the donated fat is put through a centrifuge and purified in order to make it safe and stable for injections back into the body. In many cases, especially for Butt Lift or Breast Augmentation procedures, the injections themselves are quite time consuming, as hundreds of injections are often required to generate ideal results. However, upon seeing those results, nearly all patients are thrilled with the process.
Dr. Polsen works with all of his Houston Clear Lake Area Fat Injection patients to make sure the right areas are targeted for fat removal and for Fat Injection.
Recovery and Results
Fat graft procedures are almost always performed on an outpatient basis, so most patients will return home on the same day as their procedure. Recovery from the injections themselves may take some time, and overall recovery will depend on the nature of your procedure (how much fat was donated, for example, and from where). As an example, patients who undergo a Brazilian Butt Lift are instructed not to apply any pressure to the buttocks (in the form of sitting or laying on them) for several weeks after the procedure. This gives the fat time to “settle” into its new position, preserving the results.
Dr. Polsen will work with you to make sure your recovery is as comfortable as it can be while at the same time ensuring the results of your procedure. Generally, most patients can be back at work in a week or two, though swelling may persist in some form for three months. The results, however, are almost universally praised. Dr. Polsen’s Houston fat transfer patients love the natural-looking enhancements, the new contours of their body, and their amazing transformations.
Patients love this procedure because it’s almost like two procedures in one. The fat is removed from an area where you don’t want it, but rather than letting it go to waste, that fat is put to work. If you want a bigger buttocks area, plumper lips, or an enhanced bust line, a fat transfer procedure may be the best way to get it.
If you’re interested in a fat transfer procedure, performed in our surgical suite in Clear Lake, TX, contact Dr. Polsen and South Shore Plastic Surgery today. Your transformation could be right around the corner.
