Nanofat
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5 things to know about Nanofat Grafting

Fat grafting is a long established technique in cosmetic surgery; probably for as long as liposuction has been available. And that’s since the later part of the 1980s.

What’s new is that we can now select the smallest particles of fat cells (Nanofat), and use them to erase lines and wrinkles, as well as to improve skin quality. Some researchers have referred to them as stem-cell-like fractions called Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) or Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs).

1. WHAT IS NANOFAT GRAFTING?

Nanofat injection is a method to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, or generally to improve skin quality in the face.

Nanofat is delivered like a filler injection except in this case the material used is autologous fat (one’s own fat cells).

Fat grafting (or fat transfers) are not exactly a new procedure. The procedure where grafted fat is used to volumize and lift the face, has been around for a long time. Of course, techniques and methods have improved over time. However, the advent of Nanofat represents a quantum leap in Fat Grafting methods. We are now able to treat even the fine lines under the eyes and around the mouth using Nanofat delivered with a very fine cannula.

Nanofats are actually the smallest particles of fat cells, which will survive best in a transplant scenario. The skin benefits are believed to be at least partially due to the stem-cells and growth factors in the Nanofat.

The ability to micronize fat cells down to very fine spheres has opened up many new possibilities, and as such the field of fat grafting has re-gained in popularity in the last few years.

2. WHAT IS NANOFAT USED FOR?

Nanofat can deliver skin quality improvements like the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles.

Recent studies have also shown that nanofat can improve the appearance of old scars (reference article – click here). (Updated in 2021 in The Plastic Reconstructive Journal: Adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction, or more commonly referred to as Nanofat, can improve skin quality via increased collagen production, and resist UV induced skin damage when injected into the dermis of the skin.

Used together with MilliFat and MicroFat, which provide structural support for the sagging face, we can reverse a host of the signs related to ageing. The only thing it does not treat is pigmentation. But it can even reverse skin damage due to sun (or UV) exposure.

Fat grafting is often used to enhance the effects of a threadlift or some non-surgical facelift like Ultherapy and Thermage.

3. WHAT IS THE FAT GRAFTING PROCEDURE LIKE?

The procedure involves harvesting fat from the abdomen or the inner thighs under local anaesthetic – essentially a mini-liposuction.

The fat is then cleaned, filtered and separated into different size cells – MilliFat, MicroFat or NanoFat. The larger fat cells are used to revolumize and lift the face, a kind of structural support, using a technique that Dr David Loh published. The technique has been commonly called the DL Lift.

The smallest of the fat cells are the Nanofat. They are used for the reduction of lines and wrinkles. Or for general skin quality improvements.

During the whole process from extraction, filtration to re-injection, the fat cells are completely free from environmental contamination (scientific jargon: closed system). We have a patented closed system for nanofat injections.

Post procedure, there will be some bruising and discomfort in the donor area (the area where fat was harvested in a mini-liposuction). This may take a few days to a week to recover. The overall discomfort is generally mild.

The face where the fat has been grafted will also be slighted swollen (about 20% bigger, I would say), and be slightly tender (sore to touch). Some bruising is to be expected, but again the overall recovery process is quite comfortable.

4. HOW LONG CAN THE GRAFTED FAT LAST?

A certain percentage of the transplanted fat will not take in the new environment and undergo apoptosis. Usually for the face, because of the rich blood supply, graft survival rates are quite high. You can expect somewhere in the region of 40%-60% grafted fat survival rates. So, we only need to over transplant by a little to achieve the desired outcomes.

After about one-month, whatever fat cells that remain will last forever. They will have been incorporated into the face and will last forever barring the ravages of time. In fact, they will expand and contract with extremes of weight fluctuations.

5. HOW DOES FAT GRAFTING PRICE COMPARE WITH DERMAL FILLERS?

When we do a fat grafting procedure, it is always a full face procedure. Meaning we treat the forehead, temples, cheeks and even the chin. And we harvest nanofat to treat the undereye and perioral areas too. The reason being that we want to maximize the areas treated because a mini-liposuction is involved each time. Multiple syringes of dermal fillers would be needed in order to treat similar areas. Maybe of the order of 8-12 syringes. At $1000 per syringe, you can imagine the cost even if we give discounts when multiple syringes are used. See your price list

Fat grafting (structural augmentation and nanofat grafting) costs $4,000 before GST. That’s it. And a proportion of the fat will stay for the long term.

The only “shortcoming” with fat grafting is that certain areas that need stronger structural support like the chin and the nose, harder HA fillers like Volux might still be better. In order to achieve the kind of projection needed for such areas.

Read more about Liposuction, Vaser Liposelection, Liposuction Not being a method of Weight Reduction, but instead Liposuction being more about a sense of proportion

And did you know we can correct over done fat transfers (fat grafting)?

WhatsApp us on +65 9153 1503 for more on fat grafting, nanofat grafting, and stromal vascular fractions (adipose derived stem cells). 

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Ultherapy V-Lift

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Ultherapy V-Lift is a non-invasive, non-surgical method to reduce the width of the lower and face. It sculpts the face while giving it a mild facelift-type effect.

Ultherapy is FDA approved since 2009 to lift a sagging face. It does this by tightening not only the skin, but the layers under the skin which we call the SMAS. This is a tough layer comprising muscles and the fibrous tissue. This is a strong supporting layer for the face.

Sound waves are focused by Ultherapy to leave tiny shockwaves under the skin and into the SMAS. Each point of these shockwaves triggers a cascade of collagen regeneration that translates into firmer and tighter skin. The results progressively improve over a period of several months.

What most patients experience is a mild facelift type effect that gets better as the months go by. All just after one treatment of Ultherapy.

It’s safety profile is unparalleled. In over a thousand cases done at David Loh Surgery since 2009, no one has suffered any form of injury from Ultherapy. Which sometimes happens with most other RF, IPL or laser treatments. The worst that can happen with Ultherapy is a mild mosquito-bite looking type of reaction in the skin, we call wheals. These will typically settle within a few days.

Ultherapy works particularly well in the lower face and under the chin. If fired deliberately into the fat fads in the jowl areas and under the chin, it can reduce these fat pads ever so slightly. Which is great because we can achieve a gentle sculpting of the face. These effects on the lower face we have term as The Ultherapy V-Lift.

The Ultherapy V-Lift is available at David Loh Surgery at both Novena Medical Centre and Wheelock Place. Our clinic is one of the first to start using Ulthera in 2009.

[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”4424″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]Read more:

Ultherapy, Facial Sculpting using Ulthera, Ultherapy page in Chinese, Ultherapy in Russian, Thread Lifts vs Ulthera[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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