As the field of cosmetic surgery has grown in popularity, it has correspondingly expanded in numbers of options. For rejuvenating the face there is an array of facelift types. There are also many injectable fillers which give quick but temporary rejuvenation and must be repeated periodically for long-lasting results. Then there is BOTOX, a very popular option worldwide for smoothing wrinkles.

But despite the many existing options, researchers continue to look for new and better and quicker ways to restore facial youthfulness.

What is a Stem Cell Facelift?

It refers to adult stem cells, not embryonic. There is no surgery, but instead, a person’s own stem cells are taken from the lower abdomen and transplanted to the face.

The transplanted stem cells are contained in abdominal fatty tissue. When injected into facial areas, specific “stem cell growth factors” stimulate the local skin and fatty tissue and local stem cells to create more of their own cells. This has a plumping and rejuvenating effect on the face, smoothing out the skin, restoring youthful contours, and evening out the coloring.

Long-Term Results

Fat cells have been found to be a source of hormone-like substances which enhance skin quality. When activated by this stem cell facelift procedure, they produce long-term results. That is because it is your own skin which is rejuvenating itself, spurred on by the injected stem cells. In contrast, current injectable fillers give short-term results because they are gradually absorbed and excreted by the body’s metabolism.

A stem cell facelift takes about an hour and is done with local anesthetic. Recovery takes about one week, as the slight swelling and pinkness subsides.

This procedure was first devised four years ago by one Vincent Giampapa, MD and presented in France in October, 2008. In the U.S. it was presented on November 2 at the American and International Academy of Aesthetic Medicine, in Miami, Florida.

Dr. Giampapa is an Assistant Clinical Professor at UMDNJ Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey and also directs his own plastic surgery center. He has a best-selling book on the market entitled The Gene Makeover: The 21st Century Anti-Aging Breakthrough.

This procedure has not been tested and approved by the U.S. FDA and therefore is not legally available yet. It remains to be seen whether it is a safe and widely effective procedure.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rai offers a traditional facelift plus several injectable fillers and BOTOX. Other cosmetic surgeries also enhance the face: blepharoplasty for the eyelids, rhinoplasty for the nose, chin implants, etc.

If you would like to schedule a personal consultation, please contact our office today.