Things To Know Before Getting A Fat Transfer To The Hips
Things To Know Before Getting A Fat Transfer To The Hips
One of the most sought-out body shapes currently, particularly in the western world, is the hourglass figure. This involves the top part of the body being as wide as the bottom part of the body, but smoothly cinching in around the waist. However, this is not the average body type many women have. Particularly, reaching that ideal volume in the breast or hips can be difficult. Many women have turned to working out in efforts to fill in areas that lack volume, or simply to grow a certain area in order to form more of that hourglass figure. However, not all women can grow muscle, and certain body types pre-dispose this. Many women have slim hips, hip-dips, or fat that is too high or low laying to create that perfect proportion. If you feel your body type is one of the ones mentioned, a safe and efficient solution to alter these is fat grafting to the hips.
What is a
fat transfer?
A fat transfer is moving fat from one area in the body, usually through a method such as liposuction, over to a different area in the body. This procedure is ideal as it has the benefit of both targeting an area of excess volume (such as the abdomen), so it is minimized, by suctioning the fat. Then, the suctioned fat is inserted into the area that needs more volume, such as the hips. It allows exact control by the surgeon of both areas so the ideal results can be achieved. This procedure has both reconstructive and cosmetic abilities.
Hip Shapes
Women all have a variety of different body shapes, and this is important to account for when choosing where and how much fat will be transferred. Below is an image of some general body types that many women can use to classify their lower body shape.
**blue line – waist, red line – pelvis, green line – thighs**
- Oval; narrow waistline and upper thigh region, with a slightly wider pelvis.
- Straight; the waist, pelvis and thighs are all about the same size.
- Peach; slim waist and pelvis, with wider thighs.
- Trapezoid; An almost straight line between the waist and hips, but the sides of the thighs are highly projected.
- Heart; Wide waist and pelvis, slim thighs.
- W-Shape; the waist and thighs are wide, while the pelvis is narrow.
When addressing hips, it is important to notice that a large factor in the shape of the hip is determined by the shape of the upper region of the buttocks. In order to have a harmonious figure, fat grafting to the upper regions of the buttocks is often what gives the impression of wider hips.
Fat grafting vs.
Implants for hip augmentation
Though both options are acceptable for improving the width of the hips, they each have their own pros and cons which you should consider before moving forward to know which procedure you are more comfortable with.
Fat transfer
procedure
The exact method of fat grafting varies from surgeon to surgeon by preference. Because of this it is important you discuss with your plastic surgeon which method they prefer and the general fat their patients retain to see how efficient their chosen procedure is. However, there is a general step-by-step that most surgeons follow, such as;
- Graft Harvest: mainly done through liposuction, which is the removal of fat from areas that have excess fat. This is usually done with a cannula (a straw-like instrument) that suctions the fat, though the exact method of removal is not agreed upon by all surgeons.
- Generally, suction-assisted liposuction or ultrasound-assisted liposuction showed better viability than laser-assisted liposuction.
- Graft Preparation: This is the main step most surgeons tend to disagree on, as there are different methods available that show mixed results about which one specifically will help the most fat survive once inserted. There are also extra factors such as adipose-derived stem cells (ASC’s), and platelet-rich plasma (PRP’s), which when mixed with the fat cells have shown more promising results of fat retention. However, the main goal regardless of the method is to save as much true fat as possible. In this step the fat cells are separated from other fluids and medication in order to get the purest form of the fat.
- Between the main options of filtration, gauze-rolling, and centrifugation, gauze-rolling had the highest retainment of up to 70%, but the other two options are more practical for large areas of transfer.
Fat Graft Injection: This is the final step in which the pure fat is injected in the area that an increased volume is desired in. There is a bit of debate with the methods here as well, but generally surgeons lean towards a smaller form of injection multiple times in a fan pattern. The goal is to help the fat not become too constricted and to not cause hypoxia, as well as to attach itself to nearby supplies of blood and nutrients for revascularization.
Before and After
As you can see below, the fat grafting showed promising results. The main area that was addressed was the hip/upper buttocks. Areas of liposuction also showed an improved smoothness, overall creating more of the hourglass figure. The fact of a smaller waist also created an illusion of wider hips overall. The fat that remains after the recovery period of up to one year is permanent.
As you can see, fat transfer to the hips can give promising results. It also offers the benefit of liposuction to have enough fat to fill the depressed area with. Fat grafting is generally considered safer than alternative procedures since there are smaller incision sites and the patient’s own fat cells are used, so there is little chance of rejection by the body. There is also a shorter recovery time since this procedure is not extremely invasive. However, the amount of fat that will survive cannot be accurately guessed due to a variety of factors such as procedure methods and the efficiency of the revascularization process.
If you have felt that you wanted to expand the width of your hips, in a safe yet natural manner, fat transfer to the hips can be considered as a promising choice. If you are interested in discussing this option, contact Seoul Guide Medical who can put you in contact with surgeons that are board-certified as well as have experience with this procedure. They will be able to guide you in what option is best for you, as well as support you throughout the whole process, from start to end.