FAT - SO IDEAL AS A REJUVENATION METHOD
DR. JEFFREY RAVAL USES FAT TRANSFERS TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK ON WOMEN'S HANDS
Denver, CO - Facial Plastic Surgeon Jeffrey Raval, MD, FACS is using fat transfers, the same procedure he uses to rejuvenate the face, to successfully reverse the appearance of aging on the backs of hands. The procedure, often done at the same time a patient undergoes a facial fat transfer, adds no more downtime to the patient’s recovery. The result is hands that appear to be 10 or more years younger.
Medically speaking, there are three chronological standards used to calculate a person’s age: chronological, bone structure and dental structure. In the cosmetic world, one could say it’s the hands. No matter how many procedures a woman might have done to her face, it’s her hands that give away her true age, was more telling sometimes than a driver’s license.
Until recently.
Double board certified in Reconstructive and Facial Plastic Surgery, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and Cosmetic Facial Surgery, Dr. Raval has performed fat transfers, also called autologous fat transplantation or micro-lipoinjection, successfully for the past two years. The transfer of fat cells effectively recontours the face and hands. The hollow areas under the eyes and sunken cheeks are filled in which can raise the jowl line too. On the hands, the injected fat fills in the areas of lost collagen returning its youthful plumpness disguising the boniness and veins that come with age.
The patient is slightly sedated for the in-office procedure during which fat cells are removed by liposuction from one area of the body (the donor site is generally around the naval or from the thighs or buttocks) using a small needle attached to a syringe. The fat is then processed to remove excess fluids and is re-injected using another needle into areas of the face that have lost their plumpness due to the natural breakdown of underlying elastin fibers and reduced collagen production—two factors that are an unavoidable part of the aging process. Most often the procedure to transfer fat to the hands to correct atrophic aging is done in conjunction with a fat transfer to the face.
Following the procedure, Dr. Raval positions bandages over the treated areas on the face for five days, preferable he says, to earlier practices of leaving the bandages on for only three days. Bandages can remain on the hands for just three days, he adds.
Some swelling may last up to 36 hours, but other than having bandages on, there is no downtime following a fat injection. Any discomfort after the procedure can be controlled with medication and any resulting slight bruising can be covered with make-up. Because this procedure it is a transfer of one’s fat cells from one area to another vs. the injection of foreign materials into the body, there is no risk of allergic reaction.
Because some of the transferred fat is reabsorbed into the body naturally, Dr. Raval recommends a repeat transfer within the year. The results: a refreshed, younger appearance of both face and hands can last up to three years.
Jeffrey Raval, MD, FACS is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School and did his residency and internship at the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University Barnes Jewish Hospital. He completed his fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology, is double board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. He is Section Head of Otolaryngology at Swedish Hospital in Englewood. His practice is at 250 Steele St. in Denver, Colorado. The number is 303.381.FACE (3223).