Will microdermabrasion diminish the effects of a facial fat transfer?

Question

In May of 2013 I had a fat transfer procedure to enhance my cheeks. I have loved the results until recently. It is exactly a year later and it seems as though my cheeks are not as full. I have had 3 microdermabrasion treatments over the last two months and wondering if this is causing the injected fat to dissolve/diminish. I was also considering a chemical peel but now wondering if that would have an adverse effect. Any input would be welcome!

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

Fat transfer results, despite the hype, and despite many different technological attempts to overcome this limitation, tend not to be permanent. Not all the fat survives the processing process and not all the fat that is transplanted takes (i.e. becomes vascularized). Much of what is injected, as with temporary and semipermanent injectable fillers and volumizers is lost over time due to natural resorption by the body's metabolic processes. So, the loss over the year described here seems in line with this anticipated decrease. I personally stopped doing fat transfer in the mid-nineties, when better injectable fillers--especially the hyaluronic fillers--were coming on the scene that required no second operation (no sucking the fat from the thighs, belly or buttocks before injecting in the face), no processing (could be taken sterile off the shelves) and no large bore cannulas to inject (could be injected through thin needles or microcannulas). Microdermabrasion, or epidermabrasion, is really a superficial abrasion of the skin--not to much different than what might be obtained with a very vigorous buffing of the skin with a rough towel or a deep home Clarisonic cleaning. As such, it is unlikely much too superficial a procedure to effect in any substantive way the fat that was deposited very deep at the layer of the fat and muscle. Chemical peels, particular superficial chemical peels would also be unlikely to have any negative effect. In short, it is very likely that the fat being lost is simply the result of the passage of time and normal metabolism. To address this loss, touch up treatment with volumizers or further fat injections, if you still wish, would be in order.

Peter J. Capizzi, MD · Answer

No. Microdermabrasion is not the cause of loss in facial volume. Just like a dermal filler, fat too will absorb and diminish with time. Microdermabrasion is just exfoliating the epidermal layers of your skin. Fat is injected into dermal-subcutaneous tissue. Thus, microdermabrasion would not affect this fat loss. T Ryan RN for Dr. Capizzi of Stillwater Plastic Surgery, Charlotte, NC.

Will microdermabrasion diminish the effects of a facial fat transfer?

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Will microdermabrasion diminish the effects of a facial fat transfer?

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