At DFW Center for Aesthetics and Cosmetic Surgery in Southlake, TX, we understand how frustrating the visible effects of the aging process are. That’s why we have made it our mission to offer services that help our clients look and feel their best by reversing the visible effects of the aging process. Today, we’re taking a closer look at one of our most popular anti-aging procedures, fat transfer, including how long the results last.
How Long Does a Fat Transfer Last?
At some point between the age of 16 and 18, your body ceases its production of new adipose cells. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about growing new fat cells in the donor area following your procedure. The fat removal results are permanent. However, it is important to understand that your contours can change post-op because it is possible that the fat cells that remain in the donor areas store extra energy if you eat too much.
It is also important to understand that some of the transferred fat cells will not take root in the recipient areas, so you can expect your appearance to change over the course of several months until your final results become apparent.
What Is a Fat Transfer?
A fat transfer is an anti-aging procedure that helps you look younger by restoring volume to areas with significant volume loss. It is also considered a body contouring procedure because the volume restoration goal is achieved by removing excess fat from one or more donor areas and injecting the harvested fat into the recipient areas.
How Long Does This Procedure Take?
How long your procedure will take depends on a number of factors, including how much fat needs to be removed from the donor area or areas and how much fat needs to be transferred. Depending on the scope of the procedure, we may need anywhere from one to four hours to achieve your desired results. It is important to understand that the recipient area affects how long the procedure will take significantly.
If you are worried about volume loss in your hands, you won’t need a lot of fat harvested from a donor area. Therefore, your procedure won’t take long. In contrast, your procedure will take quite a while if you want to augment your cheeks, chest, and buttocks.
How Quickly Will I Be Able To See My Desired Results?
As a general rule of thumb, you can expect your final results to become apparent in roughly six months. It will take a while for your skin to heal after your procedure, and it will take a while for your dermal layers to mold to the new contours. Also, it takes around six months for the transferred fat cells to take hold in the recipient areas. However, it may take only two months or so for the initial results of your procedure to become apparent.
What Should I Expect Throughout the Body Enhancing Process?
What To Expect During Preparation
You should understand that the body enhancing process can be broken down into three main components. You should also understand that there are two main regions of your body affected by the procedure, the recipient area or areas and the donor areas. Before your procedure begins, the donor and recipient areas will be cleaned thoroughly.
Liposuction
Once your donor and recipient areas are clean and fully prepared, a very special type of liposuction will be used to suction excess fat out of the donor areas. Thanks to this highly specialized liposuction technique, very few fat cells are damaged as they are removed.
Preparing the Removed Fat
Once the liposuction portion of the procedure is complete, the harvested fat will be prepared for injection. Specifically, it will be processed, cleaned, and inspected. Once the fat cells have been processed and cleaned, they will be inspected. Any damaged fat cells will be separated from the harvested adipose cells and disposed of. We will only inject the strongest, healthiest fat cells into the recipient areas so as many cells as possible survive the transfer process. Once we have enough clean, healthy fat cells, we will inject them into strategic points in the recipient areas.
How Can I Ensure I Maintain My Ideal Results?
Your post-op lifestyle choices play a significant role in your final results. To maximize the efficacy of this procedure, you need to do your best to maintain your weight during the first 180 days following your fat transfer. To maintain your weight, you need to make sure you’re consuming enough calories to fuel your body, even if you don’t feel hungry. It is not uncommon for people to not have much of an appetite in the early stages of their recovery.
If you find yourself with no interest in sitting down for a full meal, make sure you are getting enough calories in by drinking a protein shake or eating a few tablespoons of peanut butter. If you find that you haven’t eaten enough at the end of the day, make a bowl of oatmeal with protein powder and chia seeds before you go to bed. You also may find you need to drink a cup of whole milk to reach your daily caloric goals.
Everything You Need To Know About Macros
Many people haven’t heard of macros before. Other people have heard of macros but never made an effort to learn about their potential implications. The word “macros” is an abbreviation for macronutrients. Macronutrients are types of nutrients found in all of our diets – alcohols, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
You may find it easier to track the macros you consume post-op rather than the calories, because there are several calories in a gram of a given macronutrient. One of the most important things to consider during your recovery period is you need to eat enough protein in addition to getting enough calories every day. Depending on your weight and activity level, you may need around 40 to 50 grams (160 to 200 calories) of protein every day.
Determining How Much Protein You Need
A good general rule of thumb is you should eat 0.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. Therefore, you should weigh yourself and multiply your weight by 0.36 to determine how many grams of protein you need every day. To figure out how many calories per day you need from protein, simply multiply the grams of protein you need by four. Each gram of protein contains four calories.
Determining How Many Calories You Need
In addition to knowing how many calories you need per day from protein, you need to know how many calories you need from all sources to maintain your weight. The number of total calories you need to maintain your weight every day depends on your height, weight, biological sex, age, and level of activity. The easiest way to figure out this number is to plug your stats into an online total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) calculator.
Once you know your TDEE, subtract the number of calories you need from protein every day so you know how many calories need to come from other sources. Then, consider how many grams of fat and carbohydrates are in the meals you want to prepare, and keep in mind that each gram of carbohydrates contains four calories and each gram of fat contains nine calories.
What Can I Expect During the Recovery Process?
You should expect your recovery process to last roughly six weeks. Everyone’s recovery experience is unique, but you can feel confident that you will only need to take a week or two off from work. However, your duties may need to be modified slightly. You may not lift anything over 10 pounds during the first 42 days following your procedure.
Take the First Step in the Anti-Aging Process Today
Volume loss is one of the first visible signs that you’re getting older. A fat transfer can help you improve your contours in areas with too much fat and restore lost volume to areas that are significantly affected by the aging process. To find out whether this procedure is right for you, schedule an initial consultation with us today at DFW Center for Aesthetics and Cosmetic Surgery in Southlake, TX. If you don’t have time to come in for an initial evaluation right now, you can schedule a virtual consultation. We can’t wait to meet you and help you sculpt your ideal youthful body.
