Lipofilling: filling products

The arrival of wrinkle fillers

Facial ageing causes the loss of fat volume from the forehead to the chin. To counter the effects of ageing and skin ageing, more and more men and women are turning to facial aesthetic medicine and surgery. Numerous fillers, such as Radiesse® and collagen, have appeared on the market to make up for this loss of fat volume.

Aesthetic medicine: choosing remodelling injections

“I have always chosen resorbable products, which aim for a natural result.” According to Dr Hayot, not all dermal fillers are equal: to fill hollow under-eye circles or deep wrinkles, the Paris facial rejuvenation specialist opts for hyaluronic acid injections. He explains his choice: “Hyaluronic acid is a substance that occurs naturally in the human body. It keeps the dermis properly hydrated and smooths out breaks in the skin. After a few months or a few years, however, the product fades and disappears completely. My patients are not disappointed, because everything can be changed.”

Lipostructure of the under-eye circles

Dr Hayot recommends using a high-quality hyaluronic acid from the Allergan™ laboratories: “The effect is immediate and the results are convincing, provided the practitioner uses the right technique and a micro-cannula.” The quality of the result depends on the injector’s technique. Injections can be given with a very fine needle inserted down to the bone in contact with the area treated. In the case of hollow under-eye circles,
the needle should be inserted perpendicularly beneath the orbital rim of the lower eyelid.

Cosmetic surgery: the lipofilling technique

As time goes by, the tear trough deepens and dark circles appear. When aesthetic medicine and injections of volumising products such as hyaluronic acid are no longer enough, “it is time to turn to eyelid surgery”. When the hollow of the under-eye circle is visible and unsightly, lipofilling, also known as lipostructure, is exactly what is needed.

The surgical technique involves reinjecting the patient’s own fat directly into the area to be filled. Micro-lipostructure can be used to treat the under-eye circles, the cheekbones and the cheeks, as well as any part of the face where the volumes are out of balance.

The benefits of lipostructure

• Lipofilling can be performed at the same time as lower blepharoplasty, upper blepharoplasty or a mini facelift, as part of an overall facial rejuvenation.
• Lipofilling involves taking a very small quantity of fat from the inner surface of the knees or from the abdomen by liposuction. The procedure is not traumatic for the body.
• Surgery is quick, the anaesthesia is light and
  the patient is generally treated as a day case.
• The face is rejuvenated and beautifully plumped, with a very limited risk of rejection by the body. No foreign filler is injected.

Risks and precautions

Lipofilling is a delicate surgical procedure that must be carried out by a specialist in eyelid and oculoplastic surgery, an oculoplastic surgeon highly specialised in the eye area, in order to avoid the risk of round eyes, overcorrection and similar problems.

If too much fat has been injected during lipostructure, a further operation in theatre will be needed to remove the excess. This type of complication is rare and leaves no lasting damage.

It is important to note that the result is final after 3 months, once part of the reinjected fat has been naturally resorbed.

The oculoplastic surgeon can always carry out a few touch-ups with fat transfer or hyaluronic acid injections, but such corrections are extremely rare.

To read all the guidelines for post-operative care after lipofilling, visit this page.