Facial Fat Transfer

 If you have areas in your face that you would like to add volume to and you have sufficient donor sites from which fat can be taken, a Facial Fat Transfer in Long Island may be an option for you. The following is a list of what makes a good candidate: 

• Are in good overall health.
• Nonsmoker
• Not have any circulation problems, life-threatening illness, or medical conditions that can impair healing
• Maintain realistic goals and a positive attitude
• Committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise following your transfer 
• Have an area with sufficient fat to remove

 The main benefit of Facial Fat Transfer in Long Island is that it can turn back the clock of aging a bit without using artificial means. By injecting fat from other areas of your own body, you can: 

• Restore your youthful appearance
• Redistribute unwanted fat
• Smooth out aging or sagging skin
• Give your lips additional volume
• Smoothen out and plump up the skin around your nose and lips
• Reduce the severity of deep forehead creases
• Reduce your chance of allergic reactions to foreign substances by using fat from your own body (as opposed to dermal fillers)
• Get more natural, longer-lasting results (compared to temporary fillers)
• Improve your self-image and self-confidence

On the day of your surgery, Dr. Cohn will walk you through the procedure as discussed in your consultation. First, he will numb the areas being treated with a type of anesthesia. 

Next, he will focus on fat harvesting. He will make a small incision on the selected site(s) for fat removal. Using a sterile technique, Dr. Cohn inserts a cannula connected to a syringe to carefully extract fat.

After fat harvesting is the purification and transfer of the fat. After obtaining enough fat from the donor area, Dr. Cohn will process the fat and prepare the fat cells for the transfer. To purify the fat cells, he will use a centrifuge to spin the fat or a filtration process to remove impurities. The processed fat cells are then placed into small syringes that they will use for the fat injection.

Following the purification step is the placement. Dr. Cohn prepares the receiving area of your face and inserts a needle into the incision point of the site to be augmented. He will usually pass the injection needle in and out of the augment areas multiple times. Each time the needle is withdrawn, a line of fatty tissue parcels is carefully deposited in natural tissue planes. Dr. Cohn will repeat this process until reaching your desired results, creating a grid of grafted fat. Once this process is complete, Dr. Cohn will close the incision and place a dressing or bandage over the grafted area.

Before leaving our clinic in Long Island, Dr. Cohn and his team will ensure you have all the information you need for a smooth recovery. We also recommend arranging transportation to and from our clinic on the day of your surgery so you can avoid placing stress on your body.

Your recovery time will vary depending on how much fat is removed and the location of the liposuction incision site. Dr. Cohn will let you know how long it will be before you can return to your normal level of activity and work. You must follow all the patient care instructions Dr. Cohn and his team provide. It is also important to know that the amount of time it takes for recovery varies greatly among individuals.

During the first week, your swelling and bruising will be significant, and you will not be ready to see others socially or professionally. You will likely need to wear compression garments to keep your skin compressed and prevent swelling. Dr. Cohn will tell you how long to wear these, usually for weeks. 

Your incisions may be leaky or drain fluids for several days. In some cases, Dr. Cohn will insert a drainage tube to drain fluid away from the wound and give you instructions about emptying and resetting the drains.

In the second week, the bruising resolves, but you will still have swelling. You will likely see the greatest improvement between the seventh and tenth days, but you may still not be ready to go out in public. If you can only take off one week of work, try to plan your surgery to include two full weekends for recovery. If you can, try to take at least two weeks off.

By the third week, you will begin to look more like yourself. You can carefully apply makeup to camouflage any residual signs of swelling or bruising. Once the swelling recedes, you will be able to appreciate the results, but subtle swelling may persist for weeks.