Fat injections are increasingly popular surgical procedures that can help improve the appearance of thin lips, hollow cheeks, aging facial features and unsightly scars. Also used on a limited basis for breast augmentation surgery, these injections are considered safer than many other cosmetic procedures, because they do not involve a foreign substance. If you're interested in plumping up stubborn facial wrinkles, filling sunken cheekbones or creating fuller, suppler lips; you should consider a fat filling procedure.





Typically performed in a doctor's office while the patient is under local anesthesia, each procedure usually takes from 30 to 90 minutes depending on patient requirements. First, the nurse or surgeon applies antiseptic to both the targeted removal and injection points; then the surgeon uses either a vacuum-powered cannula or syringe to remove fat cells from the thighs, buttocks or stomach. Once the fat cells are removed, they're purified or processed by the doctor. Afterward, the fat cells are injected underneath the skin surrounding the targeted area, and a bandage is placed over the top.





Considerations





Patients typically notice positive results within a week of receiving fat injections. The transplanted cells can die without adequate blood supply, and it may take up to four days for capillaries to reach the freshly injected cells. Because of this, it is difficult for doctors to predict if the fat cells will "take." Though some may survive forever, others may be absorbed back into the body. Fat filler procedures do not provide complete improvement of scars, wrinkles, thin lips or hollow cheeks, and results may last no more than a few weeks or as long as a full year.





Because the extent of each procedure may target multiple regions of the body, and the required dosage for each patient may differ; the overall cost of each procedure can range from only $350 to as much as $5000. If the treatment is needed for a medical necessity, such as scarring owed to accidental injury, your medical insurance may cover some or all of the costs. If the treatment is merely for cosmetic purposes, you will have to pay out of pocket.