Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

Many of us become aware of our pores at some point during the waning years of our childhood, when we stumble upon our mothers’ makeup mirrors.

It can be a traumatizing sight after hardly giving your skin any thought up to that point in your life. Ever since, you understand, deep down, that they’re a part of you that no one else can see unless they’re standing an inch or two from your face, but some days, it’s much easier to imagine them as the little craters they appeared to be in that magnifying mirror.

Now comes the almost-too-good-to-be-true news that hyaluronic acid fillers could be used to drastically reduce the appearance of large pores.

The results are clear

The study that produced the viral headline was published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. Researchers at Capital Medical University in Beijing injected the faces of 42 patients with intradermal low molecular weight hyaluronic acid two to five times, leaving either a one or a one-and-a-half month timespan between each treatment.

In follow-ups, the researchers noticed a significant difference in the appearance of large pores from the injections. They weren’t the only ones. The participants did, too. Their satisfaction rate was an incredible 92.8%.

Too much of a good thing?

Collagen is the structural foundation for our skin. As such, it helps to hold our pores in place and maintain their shape. As we age, our bodies produce less collagen, which allows the pores to become more pronounced. (To be more specific, from age 20, the dermis layer of the skin produces 1% less collagen each year.) A number of external factors, like sun damage, only enhance that process.

Hyaluronic acid injections have been shown to lead to an increase in collagen production. As one prominent dermatologist said in response to the study, “If collagen is the frame of our mattress, then hyaluronic acid is the stuffing. Replacing lost volume with injected hyaluronic acid can also minimize the appearance of pores by re-inflating the skin, like re-stuffing the deflated cushion.”

It is worth noting that the amount of filler the researchers injected per treatment was a lot. And while the participants had few visible pores, injecting fillers at that amount and frequency could lead to an unnatural, overfilled look that no one wants.

In that vein, it’s always a good idea to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon who has extensive experience administering facial fillers and ask many questions beforehand so you know exactly what to expect.

In 2016, the first year that the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery tracked facial fat grafting, it ranked among the top 10 cosmetic surgical procedures performed that year. Why is it in such high demand? Let’s take a closer look.

What to expect

A fat transfer to the face, also known as a facial fat grafting, is probably a lot like how you’re imagining it. A very small amount of fat is removed, with a needle, from another site on the body, typically the abdomen or thighs. It’s then “cleaned” so that only whole, undamaged fat cells are used. Those cells are then injected into the targeted areas, most commonly the lips, the folds that extend from the nose to the corners of the mouth, the under-eye areas, and the cheeks.

It has the same rejuvenating effect as hyaluronic acid fillers, but it’s considered even safer because it’s using your own fat, which eliminates the risk of an allergic reaction.

And, just like with facial fillers, the downtime is minimal. You may experience some mild bruising and swelling following the procedure, but both should go away, for the most part, within a couple of days.

Fat grafting or facial fillers?

Know that there’s no wrong answer to that question. Both are effective means of adding volume to the face and reducing wrinkles. So, your decision will come down, mostly, to your personal preference.

If you’re primarily concerned with restoring fullness to your face, particularly around your eyes, cheeks, and jawline, fat grafting may be a more appropriate option for you because the resulting fullness tends to last longer than it does with facial fillers. Think years rather than months.

It’s believed that fat-grafting’s effectiveness is due to a stem-cell response within the skin, but that idea has yet to be proven.

If you’re more concerned with reducing and even temporarily eliminating wrinkles, facial fillers may be a better fit. They’re comprised of biocompatible substances, such as hyaluronic acid, poly-L-lactic acid, and calcium hydroxylapatite, which, when injected into the face, add volume, improve contouring, and fill in even the deepest wrinkles by stimulating collagen production.

How quickly the results become apparent depends on the filler. Some results are gradual, others are immediate. All fillers, though, are temporary. The effects generally last between a few months and a year. In turn, a treatment is typically less expensive than fat grafting.