Understanding Fat Atrophy: Causes & Effects
As you all know, the fat layer is underneath the skin and is a relatively thicker layer and it gives the face that volumizing look, the plumpness that you see on your face. Now fat atrophy is when the fat layer or the fat cells in the fat layer start to decline or reduce in volume. And that can happen for a multiple number of reasons. One could be just due to age. Fat atrophy due to aging can happen in areas like the temples, underneath the eyes, the cheeks. Another cause of fat atrophy can come from certain aesthetic treatments or treatments for acne.
When there are certain injections done into the fat layer, then the fat cells can degrade over time, leading to fat atrophy, which can lead to less volume in that area.
Treatment Options for Fat Atrophy
Regardless of the reason of fat atrophy, there are certain treatments that you can look for to replace that volume, and the most common would be a type of filler injection. Now fillers come in different shapes and forms. There are the common hyaluronic acid fillers, and now there are also different polymer fillers that you can use to inject into those areas to create more volume to cover the fat atrophy. Another surgical option would be to do a fat transfer, and that is where fat is harvested from different parts of your body, processed and then injected into the area to replace volume. So these are pieces of information that will help you to make a more informative decision if you have fat atrophy.
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Fillers Explained: Fat Atrophy Edition
Now when it comes to using fillers to treat fat atrophy, there are certain risks that you need to be aware of. One is that it could be that it's very short acting, that it could dissolve over 6 to 12 months and then you'll have to do it again to have the same effect. The second is a bit opposite to that, sometimes especially the polymer fillers can last longer than you might want them to, and then if it's causing a little bit too much volume, or if it's very bumpy, then that could be an issue because it's going to be lasting for years rather than months. Another side effect of fillers can be delayed inflammatory reaction or DIR. Now this happens not immediately, but maybe a few months or maybe even a few years after you've done fillers, there could be redness and swelling in the areas that you've had injected. Even though there's ways to reduce the inflammation, it's something that could be repetitive, recurrent, and chronic. And the most worst case scenario, however very rare, is blindness. And this is when a filler is inadvertently injected into a blood vessel that leads to the eyes, and this can cause permanent blindness, and this would be the worst case scenario. So is there an alternative to fillers? Well, there is.
It's still very early stages, but polynucleotides can be a safe alternative to fillers when it comes to replacing volume in cases of fat atrophy. Of course, not all fillers have these side effects. They can be quite rare, but it's important that you do know that they are possible. And when it comes to polynucleotides and replacing volume in fat atrophy, it's still very early stage and there's still much research that we have to do to find out the effectiveness and safety moving forward.
Polynucleotides in Action: Fat Atrophy Edition
I recently published a letter in a SCI journal about 2 cases that I treated here in Singapore. The first case is a female who had sunkenness on one temple after she had some injections done in Korea to dissolve the fat, but it was too much, and so she had a crater like sunkenness in one of her temples. So after treatment with polynucleotide over multiple sessions, we were able to see improvement in that area and that improvement was very safe. There was no inflammation and it was long lasting over a year. So these are pieces of information that will help you to make a more informative decision if you have fat atrophy.
Of course not all fillers have these side effects. They can be quite rare, but it's important that you do know that they are possible. And when it comes to polynucleotides and replacing volume in fat atrophy, it's still very early stage and there's still much research that we have to do to find out the effectiveness and safety moving forward.
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