Nanofat is a new concept in fat grafting, which enables the physician to treat very fine lines and thinning skin associated with aging using very tiny parcels of the matrix and it’s stromal vascular fraction, which include stem cells, growth factors and other regenerative material.

I first used stromal vascular fraction in cosmetics in 2003. Working with a San Diego biotechnology company, I performed a small study in 8 patients, in whom stromal vascular fraction (a type of Nanofat) was injected in the fine lip lines and the smile lines of the face.

There are 6 steps in obtaining Nanofat from all of us:

1. Local anesthesia and a needle puncture in the skin as when you have blood drawn.

2. A small amount of local anesthetic is introduced using a rounded cannula, which is gentler than a needle.

3. Withdrawal of one or two syringes, a little larger than the tubes used for a blood draw.

4. The fat is washed with a device that I invented along with Drs. Tonnard and Verpaele and Tulip Medical, a local San Diego company.

5. The fat is progressively made into smaller microscopic parcels of fat by a special device.

6. The microscopic parcels of fat are further modified into Nanofat by passing through 2 screens of different sizes.

Nanofat can be used in patients for superficial fat replacement to restore thinning skin to a more youthful condition. From studies in Italy, stromal vascular fraction and nanofat will reverse some of the architectural changes in elastin and collagen, actually showing regeneration of the tissues. Nanofat has been shown to improve hair growth in men and women with thinning in the early stages of alopecia (baldness) as well as to improve the appearance of scars and heal certain wounds. The underlying cause of these changes appears to be an increase in the blood supply to the tissues and a reduction of inflammation.

In our practice, FACES+, we use Nanofat and stromal vascular enriched fat as a tissue graft for: fine lines, forehead rejuvenation, smoker lines around the lips (perioral rhytids), deep lines on the neck and face and in sun damage, often in combination with fractional lasers (Nanofat Laser). Nanofat microneedling is often used for deep dermal delivery to acne scars, radiated tissue and scars in general.

In addition, we use Nanofat during Laser Resurfacing to deliver growth factors, stem cells and other regenerative cells into the skin much as platelet rich plasma (PRP) is used. The main difference is PRP has smaller amounts of growth factors and tends to increase the blood supply, but does not regenerate elastin and collagen nearly as much as Nanofat and Stromal Vascular Fraction. Recently, we began compounding Nanofat with a special transdermal delivery cream and patients use this as a topical following laser resurfacing and facelift surgery.

I recently spoke about my work at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and also presented concepts of Re-defining the Fat Graft into different types based on their injection characteristics and their additives. The new invention that I along with Patrick Tonnard, Alex Verpaele and Tulip developed for fat processing should be available shortly. Already this very simple and relatively inexpensive device is receiving good feedback from colleagues around the world and will likely be on the market by Tulip Medical by the first quarter of 2017. In addition, I am working closely with Millennium Medical Technologies on refining their ability to mechanically dissociate stromal vascular fraction with a device that is simple to use under local anesthesia.

Full Facial Fat Grafting with Nanofat, Millifat and Microfat can be performed at the time of laser treatment, facelift, eyelid rejuvenation or as a stand alone procedure under local anesthesia. Fat grafting of the hands may be performed at the same time if desired.