Look Younger With Fat

Simulations by Canfield Imaging Systems

Sagging skin on the cheeks is a sign that fat loss is occurring. As fat dissipates, the cheeks become flat and poorly defined as the curvature is lost, making jowls, under-eye hollows and nasallabial folds more pronounced. When it comes to correcting the cheeks, New York plastic surgeon Sharon Giese, MD, says to focus on the areas under the eyes first, and then the jowl fat. “Removing jowl fat alone enhances the cheek area. Finally, cheek volume should be addressed. If these steps are not followed, the face can take on a very artificial look.”

To show what pin-thin celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe could look like with more volume in the face, a simulation adding fullness to the lower face, cheeks, and under-eyes was done.

Simulations by Canfield Imaging Systems

Three main factors—age, hormonal shifts and weight loss—can cause significant amounts of fat to be lost. For the most part, younger women who follow extreme dieting and intensive workouts may actually be causing an aged look, because the amount of lipid content circulating in the body is reduced, forcing the fat cells to shrink. 

Research shows that, as the face ages and becomes thin, it looks older, especially in women over 40 like Sarah Jessica Parker, because there is less fat to fill out deep wrinkles and folds.

Luckily, some foods can help you stay trim and help preserve the quality of your skin. “Oysters are the best whole-food source of zinc, which helps renew and repair skin by creating collagen, to give structure, says celebrity nutrition expert Jackie Keller. Also, “fish, like salmon, have been shown to reduce inflammation that causes wrinkles and loss of firmness in the skin on a cellular level.”

Simulations by Canfield Imaging Systems

Demi Moore is a great example of how just a touch of fullness in the cheeks and around the mouth can take years off the face. “Volume, in the right places, has a huge effect on our appearance and what people perceive as aged versus young,” says Dallas plastic surgeon Joel Pessa, MD.

To simulate this fullness, both short-term hyaluronic acid injectables, and long-lasting fillers, as well as permanent fillers can be injected into the various areas of the face to restore volume.  

Simulations by Canfield Imaging Systems

For those with a loss of volume mostly around the mouth, like Angelina Jolie, facial implants, which are best to fill in the cheeks and chin, can restore volume in select areas. Besides adding volume, facial implants also help to define facial features since they build up the bone structure but not the tissue.

Simulations by Canfield Imaging Systems

For those who want long-lasting results and who are willing to endure a downtime period, fat transfer is way to place fat into the deep and superficial compartments of the cheeks. Fat grafting involves surgically removing fat (through liposuction) from other areas of the body and transplanting it into another.

Maria Shriver, who lacks volume around the mouth and under the eyes could be a candidate for this.