Han Hye-jin (F, 34), a homemaker, started dieting to lose belly fat but gave up when only her face slimmed down. She was upset because her already sharp-looking face, which had little fat to begin with, stood out even more. She knew facial fat naturally decreases with aging, but whenever she looked at her hollowed cheeks she envied the full, firm heart-line faces of celebrities on TV.
When a once plump, firm face becomes hollow through skin aging and the under-eye fat is lost, it is bound to be upsetting. Women in particular can experience rapid aging after childbirth, and in many cases the stress of childcare leaves no room for consistent skin care.
So these days 'moms' are taking an interest in autologous fat grafting, which restores the heart line for a more youthful look. In fact, in a women's magazine survey of mothers, facial autologous fat grafting ranked near the top under 'what you most want to know about skin procedures.'
Dr. Junmo Bang of TheLINE Plastic Surgery said, "For people whose constitution makes them lose fat from the face in particular, the signs of aging can stand out more than in others," adding, "Autologous fat grafting uses your own fat, so it tends to look natural and recovery tends to be quick, but it is important to decide after a thorough consultation with a specialist medical team."
Heart-line fat grafting adds volume to areas that can make a face look older, such as a flat forehead, hollow cheeks, the under-eye area and nasolabial folds, and is chosen across a wide range of ages, from women in their twenties to homemakers.
With the right amount of volume it can create a three-dimensional face shape from the side, the three-quarter view and the front, and rather than stopping at simple fat grafting, repositioning and redistribution maintain overall facial balance to raise satisfaction with the result.
In addition, graft survival is improved through 5-stage micro-fractionated fat grafting, which places fat at multiple levels within the skin layers, and LipoKit fat grafting, which minimizes the exposure of fat cells to air, so a natural yet full heart-line face becomes possible.
Dr. Yoosuk Chung of the clinic advised, "If your face has particularly little fat and therefore looks older, heart-line fat grafting can be one option," adding, "Because the suitable approach differs from person to person, it is best to have a consultation with a specialist medical team and get a tailored procedure that takes your own facial contour into account."
