The eyelid skin is extremely thin and tends to form fine lines due to frequent motion and also the lack of UV protection. Fat transfer or repositioning is an effective tool to rejuvenate the eyelids and can be safely combined with a variety of other rejuvenation procedures.
Prior to considering laser resurfacing you should have a daily routing that includes application of topical Vit C and E serum and use of sunblock. These will prevent uv damage that promotes aging of your skin. The best sunblock for around the eyes are the micronized zinc powders that are available from several different companies. If you decide to proceed with the laser rejuvenation, this daily regimen will protect you from prolonged redness and/or hyperpigmentation post procedure.
It is safe to get CO2 laser resurfacing after fat grafting. The laser resurfacing should not affect the fat that has been transferred. On the contrary, it will likely enhance your results. Best wishes.
Web reference:
http://www.bitarinstitute.com/fat-grafting/
The short answer is yes. Fat grafting is done on the deeper layers of the skin and will not be afftected by laser resurfacing. As a matter of fact, we often do these two procedures together on the same surgical day.
I would not recommend having a resurfacing procedure after a fat graft. I have many patients who come to me after having many different types of light and energy based procedures who have significant fat atrophy as a result of these procedures. Their stories can be found on real self forums. There is no question that you may negatively impact the result of the fat graft with resurfacing.
Web reference:
http://www.glasgoldgroup.com/face/facial-fat-transfer.html
Yes. You can have CO2 laser resurfacing and Facial Fat grafting, and very often there would be a lot of benefit in performing both of these procedures.
Benefits sought with CO2 Laser Resurfacing:
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Rejuvenation of the facial skin with some skin tightening
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Improvement of facial wrinkles
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Improvement of skin tone, evenness and pore size
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Improvement of "sun spots"
Common goals of Facial Fat Grafting:
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Rejuvenation and restoration of facial shape and fullness
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Providing support below the skin where a thin appearance has developed
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Balancing and augmenting for a more harmonious facial appearance
Depending on the specifics of the type of CO2 laser resurfacing and the specific areas being treated with Facial Fat Grafting, there may be circumstances where these procedures can be combined at the same time. Additionally, the "Fractional CO2 laser" has dramatically less downtime than the "older" or "traditional" fully-ablative CO2 laser.
A personal consultation with a surgeon that is experienced in both Fat Grafting and Fractional CO2 Laser resurfacing makes sense to learn about your options.
Hope this helps,
Nick Slenkovich, MD FACS
Web reference:
http://www.coloradoplasticsurgery.com/skin-resurfacing.aspx
There is no contraindication with Co2 laser to the face after previous facial fat grafting. Thank you for your question. Best wishes.
