Stem Cell Face Lift - Know More About It!

The skin is constantly exposed to sun and multiple environmental pollutants, causing a lot of degeneration. The face, being the most exposed part, bears the brunt of this. A number of dark spots, wrinkles, sagging, fine lines, etc. appear as a result of ageing and become very prominent on the face. Not just are these cosmetic concerns, but they also affect the person’s morale.

Origin:
The body has millions of types of cells, but there are some known as stem cells which are totipotent the ability to transform into any type of cell (blood, bone, muscle, skin, etc.) These totipotent stem cells were used earlier in treating sports injuries to repair joints and ligaments. They are present in large numbers in fat and so the affected joint would be injected with fat, and the stem cells from here would help in regeneration of the joint. The same concept was extended by cosmetic surgeons to treat facial ageing problems. Fat extracted from an area (usually abdomen or inner thigh) is injected into predetermined areas on the face. These then act as fillers and help in skin rejuvenation and repair.

Procedure:

1. Case selection with both the doctor and the patient.
2. Setting realistic expectations is very important
3. The area selected for fat extraction is injected with local anaesthesia
4. The excess oil and blood from this extract is removed by blotting
5. It is then mixed with growth factors, which are embedded in beads of hyaluronic acid, which allows for the prolonged and constant release of growth factors
6. After thorough mixing, this is then injected into specific areas on the face in multiple planes – usually three, from the innermost to the outermost layers of the skin
7. The growth factors used for each of these layers also could differ. The second layer could have more of protein (collagen) as it helps in keeping the skin firm.
8. The topmost layer could have more blood cells as it is involved in vascular supply
9. After this, a final resurfacing is done to ensure the fine lines and superficial skin damage is repaired
10. The face may also be sculpted in specific areas to correct additional features, like the jawline
11. Fat deposit correction (some addition, some removal) may also be done.

Advantages:

1. No surgical incision required, only needle incisions to extract and infuse fat cells
2. Faster healing
3. Done as outpatient procedure
4. No hospitalization
5. No anaesthetic required
6. No scar, as the fat is used from lesser visible areas like inner thighs
7. Quicker and remarkable results
8. Complete facial rejuvenation
9. Can be done from patient’s own blood or from a donor