Facial fat both dissipates and migrates as we get older; anyone over forty, or even younger, has probably been surprised to look in the mirror and see the initial signs: sagging cheeks or nasolabial folds, or lines running from the mouth downward, or a double chin—all the result of the natural fat under our skin decreasing or moving. 

Lost volume in the face (and unfortunately, added volume at the jaw line or neck or chin) is a typical—though now reversible—sign of aging.  One sure way to restore the look of youth is to put the fat back where it came from. 

A simple office procedure at the dermatologist’s can accomplish this with very little disturbance to the skin, and typically, no recovery at all.  The substance used to fill the depleted areas can be a choice of many excellent, recently FDA approved products, including Restylane, Juvederm and Radiesse. 

Another fairly simple procedure, Microliposuction, can remove accumulated fat from certain areas, and the natural fat that’s extracted during the procedure can be relocated to depleted areas.  In the case of facial wasting like lipoatrophy, resulting from disease such as HIV or cancer, Sculptra, another synthetic filler with a slightly different composition and delivery method from the aforementioned, is FDA approved for this purpose.