Fillers are fab but there can be downsides. They don’t dissolve as quickly as many people expect (taking up to 20 years say some doctors) and although rare, unwanted lumps and bumps can occur, especially if the treatment is administered by an inexperienced practitioner.

Removing unwanted filler to correct such misshapen mishaps is also tricker than many people assume. The commonly used filler dissolver known as Hyaluronidase has also recently raised eyebrows over safety concerns. A specially created Facebook group features over 2000 people discussing such adverse effects after dissolving their fillers, including months of burning skin sensations, dry eye syndrome, sagging and hollowness of facial features, loose wrinkled skin, fatigue, headaches and more.

In light of all these risks, I wanted to discover an effective alternative, natural treatment to keep our complexions gloriously voluminous and youthful, and I found the answer in Fat. glorious fat.

I spoke to cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Michail Vourvachis at the renowned Harley Elite Group about the cutting edge Stem cell and Stromal-enriched Fat grafting procedure he is famous for and I was left seriously impressed.

Harley Elite Group is highly respected due to its cutting edge treatments and extremely skilled medical practitioners and is frequented by numerous celebrities and even royal figures from all over the world.

With 10 years of experience in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, Dr Vourvachis  specialises in facial rejuvenation, liposuction, body contouring and breast surgery. He is also an expert in regenerative procedures, such as this cutting-edge stem-cell and stromal-enriched Microfat and Nanofat grafting – a minimally invasive procedure for facial and body rejuvenation. And, I was pleased to hear. It’s all natural.

“Many people have a false sense of security with Hyaluronic acid fillers as they are told it’s a natural substance.” Dr Vourvachis explains, “Whilst it’s true that our body naturally produces Hyaluronic acid, the Hyaluronic acid used in fillers is synthetically made, so the body can reject this, causing adverse affects.”

When you compare fat grafting to Hyaluronic acid filler, it has the advantage of being part of the patient’s very own tissue, so no inflammatory and foreign body reactions occur. In addition, fat has a high concentration of stem cells responsible for skin rejuvenation, creating a substantially, plumper, more youthful complexion.

Stem cell and Stromal-enriched Fat grafting  – how it works 

A non invasive form of liposuction takes place from either the sides of the abdomen or inner thighs using a local anaesthetic. A small amount of fat is harvested from only one area to prevent the risk of contour irregularities sometimes observed with large-volume liposuctions. There is also minimal soft tissue swelling and bruising with this process.

The fat particles extracted from liposuction are unequal so they are processed in a special device to create equal-sized smaller (Microfat) and even smaller (Nanofat) fat particles. This innovative process has numerous advantages such as eliminating surface irregularities and increasing the concentration of stem cells within the fat cell population which is responsible for rejuvenating the skin.

The microfat is then expertly injected into the already existing deeper fatty tissue and the nanofat is injected into the more superficial fatty tissue for an exceptional plumping and smoothing effect to rival the look of even the most expertly administered filler procedures. This non invasive, rejuvenating effect on the skin continues and peaks at about 4- 6 months, with results lasting up to 24 months.

But how do stem cells play a role in this innovative procedure?

“A stem cell is a cell with a unique ability to develop into specialised cell types in the body. Stem cells can transform into any other tissue in the body such as bone, muscle, cartilage, ligament, collagen-producing cells and many other cells that play an important role in body functions.” Dr Vourvachis explains.

“Stem cells can be found in two main areas in the body: the bone marrow (the inside tissue of a bone) and the fat. It is technically easier to obtain stem cells from fat than from the bone marrow, as fat is located superficially under the skin and involves a far less invasive procedure to harvest it than to harvest the bone marrow.”

Interestingly, I learnt that the procedure extracts a fluid called Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from the fat, which contains the highest concentration of stem cells. This liquid is then isolated from the fat and is collected into syringes before being injected superficially into the dermis (the layer immediately under the skin) to provide a superior rejuvenating effect when combined with microfat and nanofat grafting.

A small amount of the injected fat can dissolve with time, but the rate which it dissolves varies between patients and can be between 10 and 30 percent within the first 6 to 12 months.

The new methods and techniques developed over the years with this eco-friendly, natural treatment ensure that the harvesting, processing and injecting phase of the fat grafting occurs with minimal trauma to the fat cells, ensuring that a high percentage of them survive at the injection sites. Only a small percentage of fat cells will slowly dissolve with time. This ensures a long-lasting volumising and rejuvenating effect for a more youthful and glowing face, neck as well as many other body areas.

So what are the main benefits? “Its an exceptional treatment for correction asymmetry, loss of volume on the face, neck and body.” Says Dr Vourvachis. “Overall a premium anti ageing treatment, using your own natural fat and stem cells.”

Does it hurt? Dr Vourvachis reassures me that it does not, explaining that patients receive local anaesthesia prior to having the fat injected and the canulas used to inject are very small.  Even better, there is no downtime so patients can expect to return to work or to serious lady of leisuring the very next day.

I was intrigued at learning about this incredible alternative to fillers, yet wanted to delve into the painstakingly honest world of online reviews. I was pleased I did as there were numerous reports of positive experiences, with most people stating how their results got better and better over time.

Ralitsa Ivanova was particularly impressed. “Immediately after the treatment, I saw a significant improvement and my face looked very lifted,” she states jubilantly on her online review. “I am thrilled and very happy with my new, beautiful and youthful face.”

Shamini Mengrani was equally ecstatic with her results saying, “I am very impressed – the treatment went very smooth with no pain,” She also praised Dr Vourvachis saying, “he is a great surgeon, very caring and gentle,” and that her results were “amazing.”

Fillers, its time to move over, fat and stem cells are the future of facial rejuvenation and we’re all here for it.

For more information about booking this wonder treatment at Harley Elite Group click here.