IDHOSPITAL

Loss of Volume due to aging and weight loss

As someone gets older, volume/fat is lost, which can make someone appear older. Also, for some cases, weight loss also leads to loss of volume which makes the face appear less youthful. Due to that reason, people opt to have volume added for a more youthful look. To help you compare between both procedures, we will explain the pros and cons for both to make it easier for you to select the right procedure for you.

NANO FAT GRAFT

Areas with excess fat tissue, such as thigh or abdomen, will have the fat extracted, isolated, and centrifuged.
The processed fat tissue is then administered to the area of interest via injection. Since the fat tissue comes from your own body, your body will not recognize the fat tissue as a foreign material.

Fat graft is recommended for patients who wish to use their own fat tissue to add volume to the face. Things to consider would be, not getting the fat graft in an area where the muscles require continuous usage, e.g around the mouth, as that will usually be re-absorbed by the body at a faster rate.

ID Hospital’s Nano fat graft uses fine size nano cannulas to inject the fat cells, which are smaller than the normal sized cannulas (0.4-0.8 mm in size). Fat cells are broken down into smaller nano fat cells, and evenly injected to multiple layers.

Pros: 

1. Due to the fat coming from your own body, there is no chance of negative reaction and it looks more natural, especially for under the eye area.

2. After the fat graft, the remaining fat will be stored for 3 months, so if you have the second session, the results will last for a long time (semi-permanent)

3. For areas that require 3ccs to 5ccs or more, it is more cost effective to get fat graft compared to getting filler.

Cons: 

1. If you cannot come back to have the second session, then it is better to just get a filler.

2. If you work-out a lot, or lose weight easily, then the fat re-absorption rate is usually higher, so the results will not last longer.

3. If you do not like the results, you have to wait till the fat gets re-absorbed into the body, or consider a liposuction or fat melting procedure.

FILLER

Hyaluronic acid(HA) is a natural substance found densely in cartilage, in the fluid surrounding your eyes, as well as in skin tissue. If the proper amount is not maintained, the essential nutrients will not be supplied properly to skin cells. A loss of HA is the reason why our skin gets wrinkled and dehydrated as we age.

HA is able to hold up to 1000 times its molecular weight in water so sometimes it’s called “nature’s moisturizer”. As it penetrates deep into the dermis and fills it with moisture, it tightens the overall complexion and maintains skin elasticity and volume.

Restylane® and Juvéderm® are a leading filler brands, and a commonly used Korean filler brand in Korea is Yvoire®. All of these fillers are available for patients at ID Hospital.

Pros: If you work-out a lot, or lose weight easily, then the filler is more cost-effective, than fat  graft.

1. For increasing volume in areas like lips, getting filler is recommended.

2. If you cannot come back to have the second fat graft session, then it is better to just get a filler.

3. For patients who do not wish to undergo surgery, filler is a faster, preferable option.

4. If you do not like the results, you can get a filler melting injection, to dissolve the hyaluronic acid.

Cons:

1. A filler typically lasts from 6 months to a year and requires regular upkeep.

2. Especially in the lips, fillers last about 6 months because the lips move a lot.

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